Boy, 6, praised for smiling through cancer treatment

A six-year-old has been praised for making his cancer journey look like a "walk in the park", as he fought the "horrible" disease.

Harry was diagnosed aged four, two weeks before his parents' wedding, after being taken to see a doctor because he had a rash, bruising and a chest infection.

Christopher and Samantha Daniels, from Caerphilly, were devastated to be told he had leukaemia - a type of blood cancer.

But their "little star" has always smiled and given a thumbs up through chemotherapy, and is due to finish treatment in June 2026.

Harry's parents considered cancelling the wedding, but after being reassured by doctors they decided to go ahead.

Mum Samantha, an employee benefits coordinator, said the news came out of the blue.

The 41-year-old said: "He had a couple of chest infections and and some leg pain, so we just followed the protocol and took him to the doctor.

"We went to the hospital and they did some blood tests on him and then that is when they told us he had leukaemia."

She said they were "in shock and heartbroken" when they found out, adding: "It has been such a tough time for our family, but we are pleased his leukaemia cells are currently undetectable."

The couple, who met in 2014, initially put Harry's rash down to playing football on artificial grass in the garden.

But then they noticed their son, now six, had "excessive" bruising, so took him to see a GP.

The doctor referred them to the Grange Hospital, in Cwmbran, Torfaen.

After his diagnosis he went through six months of chemotherapy at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital, in Cardiff.

Now taking more than seven tablets a day, Harry will mark the end of his treatment in June 2026.

His dad said: "He is really good. He has now got a routine so the medication he is on is pretty much the same every week, and once a month he has chemo through his line."

Chemotherapy can be delivered though a catheter line into a vein.

"Every three months he has a lumbar puncture," Christopher added.

"He tolerates all of this really well. He is really brave. He is now taking upwards of seven tablets a day and he gets those down without any quibbles whatsoever," he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

Harry, who loves monster trucks, Minecraft and Ronaldo, has also started swimming lessons and joined Caerphilly Athletic football team.

Samantha said Harry was the family's "little star".

"He has never once not smiled or given a thumbs up throughout all his chemotherapy," said Samantha.

"He is always happy and willing to go to every hospital admission.

"Harry has made his cancer journey look like a walk in the park, when inside his little body is fighting a horrible cancer."

His parents had considered putting the wedding on hold.

"We toyed with the idea of cancelling or postponing but after speaking to the consultants and the nurses they put us at ease," Sam said.

"Harry was immunosuppressed so he could have picked up any bug, but they reassured us he was well enough and they gave us the opportunity for it to still go ahead."

On the day, Harry wore his suit alongside older brother Oscar and watched his parents exchange vows at Sant Ffraed House in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire.

Harry went to the ceremony but spent most of the day in a hotel room with family, so he was not exposed to infection.

"He had a great time and was dancing with an inflatable guitar and ate lots of nice food," Samantha said.

"It’s not how we imagined our wedding day to be, but it was still very special and incredibly emotional."

Harry is backing TK Maxx’s Give Up Clothes for Good campaign, in support of Cancer Research UK.

The family urged people to donate their old clothes to the shop.

"Their unwanted items really could save lives," said Samantha.

Additional reporting by Danielle Herbert