Dawson's legacy lives on

The two-year-old captured the hearts of a whole community after he was diagnosed with heptoblastoma in January last year.

This week his mum Wendy Willcock spoke to the Chad about life without Dawson, who died on November 24.

Wendy said: “Three months without him and he still continues to make me smile every single day. I very much miss that cheeky mischievous grin of his, I’m sure he’s still making people laugh where he is now.

“We have tried to get used to life without him but it is very hard.

“The sense of loss comes when you notice the small things like not having to arrange for a baby sitter.

“We have just had my daughters birthday and my son’s birthday is next week.

“We still put his name on the birthday cards because we want to keep him in our life.”

It is just a year since Wendy and dad David, of Warnadene Road, Sutton, launched a “Dollar for Dawson” fundraising campaign to pay for pioneering treatment in America.

The family began the appeal after UK-based chemotherapy failed, More than £350,000 was raised to fund Dawson’s treatment in the USA.

But after the family were given the heart-breaking news that the cancer was far “too aggressive” they decided to put some of the money raised toward purchasing a £55,000 caravan at Butlin’s Skegness, to be named Dawson’s Home for Heroes. The caravan is to give a much needed free holiday for children with life threatening illnesses or diseases and their families.

Wendy said: “The builders have told us the caravan will be finished on March 16 then two weeks after that when it will be ready on the Butlins site.”

More money has been donated to research, and the charity ‘You Are My Sunshine’.

Wendy said: “We have been working with You Are My Sunshine to help parents of children at the cancer wards at QMC Nottingham. On oncology you can only have one parent stay. We want to provide accommodation in hotels so they are not separated more than they need to be by this horrible disease.”

Every year the family is hoping to organise a super hero ball in Dawson’s memory. Wendy said: “Two years ago on January 24 we had Dawson Christened, one year ago on January 24 we were told he had Hepatoblastoma, He died on November 24.

“We want to organise it on the 24th of a month so that we can have something positive for the 24th.”