JOSH Abbott-Littler was looking forward to a summer when he started suffering from flu-like symptoms.
The 21-year-old maths student from Wigan had only just rung the ‘all clear’ bell in May 2024 after gruelling treatment for cancer.
“He was perfectly fit and well, with no symptoms at all,” his aunt Rebecca Hughes said. “Then, in 2023, a growth came on his neck.”
His mum took him to the GP and after testing he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that develops in the lymph nodes.
“He was treated with chemotherapy and proton beam therapy at The Christie and he actually got the all clear before the end of the treatment,” the aunt told the Liverpool Echo.
Josh got the all clear in May 2024.
“He finished his first year at university and everything was going well.”
The student lwent on to spend the summer attending music festivals with his friends.
But in June this year, he suddenly became ill.
“He couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong,” Rebecca said. “He was taken straight to A&E and they were treating him for pneumonia and sepsis.”
Doctors discovered he had developed treatment-induced acute myeloid leukaemia, a rare form of blood cancer linked to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Josh was readmitted to The Christie, but died on June 26 from sepsis caused by a bacterial infection.
“It was absolutely devastating,” Rebecca said.
“We’re such a close family and Josh was the first grandchild, the first little nephew, and we absolutely cherished and adored him. It was a huge blow for us all.”
In his honour, Josh’s family members completed a nine-hour walk from Wigan to Southport, in an attempt top raise £1,000 for Young Lives vs Cancer.
“After Josh’s passing, they’ve been just as present with his mum and his two little brothers, constantly checking in,” Rebecca said.
She added: “Everyone says it about their own, but he was a beautiful, wonderful young man, really intellectual.
“He was a really clever boy. Josh wasn’t big on social media.
“He loved his music, he went to chess club at uni. He was just a beautiful soul, a really lovely boy.”
WHAT IS ACUTE MYELOID LEUKAEMIA?
ACUTE myeloid leukaemia is a type of blood cancer that affects the immune system’s white blood cells.
The causes of the disease are not well understood and it usually cannot be prevented. Previous chemotherapy, exposure to radiation or smoking could raise the risk.
It is a rare type of cancer and affects around 3,100 people each year in the UK, and 2,700 people die from it annually.
AML is an aggressive form of cancer and often needs urgent treatment with chemotherapy and possibly a bone marrow transplant.
Symptoms of the disease include:
- Paleness
- Concerning tiredness or weakness
- Often feeling breathless for no reason
- Getting regular infections
- Unexplained weight loss
- Unexplained bleeding and/or bruising
Source: NHS
