Kyle's Fund is a Special Named Fund at CCLG raising money for research into acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in memory of sixteen-year-old Kyle.
Kyle was fourteen years old when in January 2018 he was diagnosed with ALL, a cancer of the blood. His parents, Mandy and Ian share his story...
Kyle lived with his mum and dad and older sister Natasha. He was a healthy 14 year old boy prior to his diagnosis. He had seemed a little lethargic and pale for weeks before but we didn’t realise it was anything serious.
He complained of stomach pains early in January 2018. His GP referred him to A&E at Coventry University hospital where he had blood test to reveal he had leukaemia. This was a huge shock for all of us. After staying in hospital overnight he was transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital the following morning where they confirmed he had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
He was given chemotherapy (under B regimen). This didn’t have the desired effect, so he needed to have a bone marrow transplant. The charity Anthony Nolan found a donor and Kyle had his transplant in May 2018. This was preceded by radiotherapy and more chemotherapy. Although this was a grueling experience, he showed great personal strength to get through it to be cancer free.
He recovered in hospital for several months before returning home in August 2018. He was largely healthy for the next year or so but he needed a top up of stem cells in January 2020 after the levels from his donor had dropped. This caused him to suffer from Graft versus Host Disease. (GvHD). He was admitted to hospital. We expected him to stay for just a few weeks but his case was unusually severe, affecting his liver, skin and gut.
His condition deteriorated over the next few months, and he grew very weak. His liver failed him causing a massive internal bleed. He passed away on 29th May 2020 at the age of 16.
Kyle was quiet but popular, chilled and kind. Everyone that knew him commented on his infectious smile. He frequently made us laugh with his playful wit. He had a love of the absurd, often making up silly songs. He loved video games and movies, (Portal, Harry Potter and Doctor Who were among his favorites). He loved spending weekends with his grandparents and he was an athlete for Nuneaton Harriers and a speed walker for Warwickshire. He loved swimming, especially in the sea, and he supported Coventry City and went to many games with his dad, which he loved doing.
Kyle's school were wonderfully supportive, and despite Kyle missing nearly two years of school, he passed all his GCSEs. After he passed away, his school Nicholas Chamberlaine, kindly brought in a bench for family and friends to sit and reflect on Kyle's time at the school.
We got to know lots of families at Birmingham Children’s Hospital who were going through similar experiences to ours. We want to support CCLG in Kyle’s memory to help reduce suffering for other families and children like Kyle, and to help give them a better chance of a positive outcome.
We’re planning a fundraising event in December 2024 to mark Kyle’s 21st birthday. Some local bands have kindly agreed to play for us and we’re hoping to get some support from local businesses. We’re also thinking of holding charity pool and darts matches. We would be very grateful for any support anyone can offer us.
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Text CCLGKYLE to 70085 to donate £5.
CCLG will receive 100% of your donation. Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message.
You can make a donation or pay in funds raised by cheque, payable to CCLG, Century House, 24 De Montfort Street, Leicester LE1 7GB. Please ensure you make it clear that the donation is for The Henry Gloag Fund so that your donation is allocated to the correct fund.