When CJ was 7, he was diagnosed with chordoma - a rare form of cancer. CJ didn't let this stop him doing what he loved to do which was to play rugby. He started of playing for Cougar Cubs, he was a brilliant player, small but fast. He then went on to play rugby for the Keighley Albion and also college.

CJ was due to go to Switzerland for pin point radio therapy, but before he went we did some fundraising to be able to send him and his family to Disneyland Paris before he started his treatment. When we had raised enough we sent CJ, his 2 brothers, Dalian and Danny and his Dad, David to Disney land Paris for a week. They all had a brilliant time.

CJ and his dad went to Switzerland for pin point radiotherapy, they had to travel 5 days a week to a specialist hospital for his radiotherapy. He had to do this for 3 months. When CJ came back he had to have 6 monthly MRI scans, which turned to yearly after a while.

CJ got a petrol scooter for Christmas when he was 17 and he did his CBT test and passed 1st time, he loved riding round on it and riding to college. He was coming up to been 10 years all clear, when he started to feel unwell.

He had like cold symptoms to start with but quite quickly his symptoms became worse. His mobility became effected and he was very unsteady on his feet. He was taken to Airedale Hospital to be checked over. They wasn't sure what was causing this at 1st until they was told he had Cancer previously.

They then did a MRI scan to find out what was going on. He was getting worse every day. He was then transferred to LGI HDU but overnight he had become worse and they had to transfer him to ICU and put him on a ventilator. We was told he had 2 brainstem tumours stage 4 and they was nothing left they could do except keep him comfortable.

We held a fundraising day to try raise funds to get him a bed in the living room at our house and to be able to care for him at home with all the equipment and specialist nurses. The day of the fundraiser was 3rd October 2015 and it was going amazing.

I then had a call off CJ dad who told me that he didn't have long left and he was been kept alive by the ventilator. All his close family and a few close friends came to his bedside as we all said our goodbyes and told him how much we love him. CJ then turned his head looked at his dad and then took his last breath. He died on 3rd October 2015 aged just 17.

Young Lives vs Cancer helped CJ during his cancer. He enjoyed attending all the sessions that the charity held and met some really good friends through them as well. Young Lives vs Cancer helped us as a family through CJ's diagnosis and after.

Any donations would be gratefully appreciated in CJ's memory and help us to help other families going through a tough diagnosis. Thank you.

Donna & David - CJ's step-mum and his dad.