The parents of Dunfermline schoolboy Aaron Murphy have paid tribute to their “beautiful boy” after he lost his cancer battle.
Aaron, 11, died last week having been flown back from London, where he was on a clinical trial of pioneering T-cell treatment for relapsed neuroblastoma – a cancer affecting nerve tissue.
The trial, which he started in mid-April, had been the McLean Primary School pupil’s only hope of recovery.
However, a month into treatment, his heartbroken parents Dougie and Louise revealed: “It looks like the T-cells haven’t been able to do much to slow this monster of a disease down.”
Having bravely endured excruciating pain during the treatment, Aaron was transferred to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh for palliative care.
Sharing the news of his death on the Aaron – Childhood Cancer Warrior Facebook page, Dougie and Louise said: “On Thursday May 30 at 3pm, Aaron, our beautiful, brave, most caring boy peacefully left this world with mum and dad by his side .
“Two weeks ago the wonderful staff at Edinburgh Sick Kids pulled out all the stops and managed to fly Aaron back to Edinburgh, not home but a lot closer. Aaron managed to have some friends visit him on the ward which really cheered him up.
“More recently we managed to take his cats, Jerry and Fluffy, on to the ward too. The healing power of animals took Aaron’s pain away for just one magical moment.
“Throughout this journey Aaron remained strong and brave, charming all who met him. Even during the most horrible days he was always so polite.
“As parents we could not be more proud of Aaron. He has taught us so much in his short life.
“Fly high beautiful boy, we will miss you.”
There is currently no approved treatment for relapsed neuroblastoma and Aaron was one of the first patients to receive T-cells for the disease.
He first became ill shortly before his fourth birthday and after tests Dougie and Louise, who are both 40, were given the devastating news that their son had stage three neuroblastoma.
Over the next six months he underwent chemotherapy followed by an eight-hour operation.
Following more treatment including radiotherapy, brave Aaron returned to school.
However, after five and a half years in remission, Aaron’s cancer returned in 2017.
When high-dose chemotherapy failed to destroy the tumour, the family pinned their hopes on the T-cell trial and he started treatment at the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.
Aaron’s own T-cells — which are part of the immune system — were harvested and genetically modified in a lab to make them more effective before being transferred back to him.
