‘One of our twins caught a virus – then we were thrown into every parent’s worst nightmare’
When twins Rocco and Reuben Whittle were struck down by a virus, it was hoped it wouldn’t take long for them to recover.
But when their parents Jayne and Jason noticed Reuben’s stomach looked different, they decided to take him to a doctor – unaware of the nightmare that was about to unfold.
“Before we knew it, he was being blue-lighted to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and we were thrown into every parent’s worst nightmare,” Assistant Principal Jayne said.
Reuben, who was just two at the time, remained in hospital while receiving chemotherapy treatment.
And despite going into remission, the tot, from the Croston area of Lancashire, saw his cancer return following a bone marrow transplant in March 2019.
His brother Rocco bravely donated his own white blood cells so Reuben could undergo a cancer therapy called CAR-T, but tragically, Reuben died before he was able to have the treatment. He was just seven years old.
“Two weeks into the process, Reuben developed sepsis and spent two-and-a-half-weeks in ICU before he passed away,” Jayne added.
When Reuben was admitted to the hospital, Jayne, Jason, and Rocco were given a room at the nearby Ronald McDonald House Manchester, which provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation and support for families with children in the hospital.
Jayne added: “Our lives were on hold for several years. Every time Reuben had a fever, we took him straight back in.
“The House was always there. We were grateful for the friendships made in the House; as life was being ripped away from us, we reached out to other parents, who were going through similar experiences. That peer support was so important.
“Having the House as a base, not only meant that we could be at Reuben’s bedside within minutes, but it also afforded us a haven, where we could retain some sense of normality.
“Reuben’s chemotherapy protocol was very harsh but having the House to retreat to made it easier for us to support one another.
“It allowed us to recharge our batteries, ready for another long day on the ward, and gave us somewhere special, where we could make memories together with the twins.”
Jayne and Jason began raising money for Ronald McDonald House Charities UK in 2016 when Reuben was still poorly. Through various fundraising activities, including 10k runs, a Three Peaks Challenge, and selling homemade crafts, the family and their supporters have raised around £15,000 over the years.
Dad Jason, 53, recently took part in his first-ever boxing competition in memory of his son.
After eight weeks of training, his White Collar Boxing event, Rumble for Reu, took place at Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester on March 9, with the fundraising still going on JustGiving.
Ronald McDonald House Charities UK community fundraiser, Natasha Swindell, said: “It was our privilege to support the Whittle family over the years that Reuben was receiving treatment. We were devastated when Reuben lost his life to this terrible disease and our hearts go out to Jayne, Jason, and Rocco, as they continue to navigate their grief.
“For Jason to take on this epic challenge in aid of our Charity is truly inspiring and we’re all right behind him! We thank Jason and everyone who’s sponsored him; the money raised will help us to provide more families in need with a free ‘home away from home’, to ease some of the burden of having a sick child in hospital.”
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