Toddler 'wasn't himself' on holiday - then family got devastating diagnosis
Charlie Daly was on holiday with his family when they noticed he was withdrawn and then bruises began to appear on his skin.
A family have revealed how a three year old lad "wasn't himself" during a break away, and after rushing him to hospital they received the devastating news that he had leukaemia.
Charlie Daly from Washington, Sunderland, was enjoying a holiday in Morecambe with his loved ones when they spotted he seemed quiet and withdrawn before bruises started appearing across his skin.
Just seven days prior, he had fallen ill with a high temperature and been taken to see a GP, but at that point medics believed he simply had an infection, potentially made worse by a heart murmur that runs in the family.
He was discharged home and the family - including Charlie and his five brothers and sisters - headed off on their getaway, but it was whilst in Morecambe that they made the decision to take him to hospital where doctors suspected he might have leukaemia.
The family raced back home and Charlie was admitted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, where he is now receiving treatment expected to continue for up to three years - creating enormous logistical challenges for his loved ones, reports the Mirror.
Both his mum and dad - Dawn and Darren - work for themselves, and with money tight, Charlie's auntie Kerry has launched a fundraising appeal to help the family.
Kerry explained to ChronicleLive: "Just a week before, he had been really poorly. He'd had a temperature and my sister Dawn had taken him to the doctors. My sister had asked if it was okay for them to go on holiday - and they did.
"Charlie has five siblings and the little ones were all dancing as they normally do - and he's usually the first one on the dancefloor, but he wasn't himself."
She revealed that they rushed Charlie to hospital where medics delivered the devastating news that leukaemia was a possibility.
"They had to send an ambulance from the RVI to get him home. And when he got back to the RVI they did more blood tests there to confirm it was what they had thought," said Kerry.
"It's been incredibly frightening for them all. Before this there had been absolutely no indication that it could be cancer. It's been a bolt from the blue. His mum always says how he loves to make people laugh."
Writing on the crowdfunding page, she added: "At only three years old this is devastating news for us all as a family, but no one more than his mam, dad and siblings Sophie, Oliver, Lexi, Josh and Melissa."
She went on to say: "We are really hopeful that Charlie will make a full recovery but we have been told he will need 2-3 years of gruelling treatment that could make him very poorly. Charlie's mam (my sister Dawn) and his dad Darren both work self employed and are unable to work whilst Charlie is poorly."