Wednesday, July 23, 2008

The saddest (but sweetest) story ever

Dying eight-year-old 'marries' his school sweetheart
An eight-year-old boy who had set his heart on 'marrying' his school sweetheart achieved his final wish the day before he died of leukaemia.

By Laura Clout

Given only weeks to live, Reece Fleming proposed to his 'special friend' Elleanor Purgslove at a laser tag party.

After she accepted, their parents arranged a make-believe wedding at Reece's home in Mackworth, Derby. He died the next day with his family.

Reece's mother Lorraine Fleming said he told her, "I can go now" after his wish had been granted.

The 28-year-old said: ""He was so proud of her, and we were proud of them both."

Reece was diagnosed with leukaemia in July 2004, when he was aged just four.

He fought the disease for four years until May when doctors told him he had just weeks to live.

Ms Fleming, said she and his stepfather Mick Thompson had tried to help him achieve as much as possible before his death, including marrying his sweetheart.

"When we found out that we only had a few weeks with him we tried to do absolutely everything with him that we could.

"Him and Ellie had been 'special friends' for a couple of years but then they broke up.

"We said we'd have a pirate party, and Ellie came. She went to visit Reece a few times in hospital as well.

She added: "We also had a football and laser quest party, apparently that's when he proposed to her."

The pair went out to dinner in the mayor's limousine and the families organised a 'wedding', complete with rings, a stand-in vicar and a certificate.

The ceremony was carried out on July 4 and the following day Reece died at home with his family and a Macmillan nurse.

At his funeral, mourners followed a horse-drawn hearse on foot.

Ms Fleming added: "Even on the Saturday that he died, he got out of bed and walked to the sofa.

"He always tried walking, right to the end, so we thought if he walked for us then we would walk for him."

22 comments:

Arielle said...

Oh my god, that is both adorable and heartbreaking. I'd probably cry except I don't really do crying.

Anonymous said...

Awwww...

Anonymous said...

Oh goodness.. I'm avoiding that story because I'd turn into a sobfest.

Essentially Me said...

Very sweet story.

Crushed said...

I can't quite work out if this is a happy story or a sad story.

I'm actually going to go with happy.

Hope for us all, eh?

Anonymous said...

It's so sad, but yet really sweet.

Anonymous said...

For serious that is the sweetest and saddest thing I've ever heard.

Anonymous said...

Are you trying to make me cry or something?

Yoda said...

I would cry if I could. Such a viciously heartbreaking story, this.

Why??

Jamie Lovely said...

Oh my gosh. This is going to make me cry!

Katelin said...

awww such a sweet story, i love it. even if it is making me tear up.

Rachel said...

*hugs daughter*

Tonya said...

I should not have read that at work. tissue please.

Pretty Unfamous said...

Everyone deserves happiness in life, and I'm so glad his family and Eleanore's family did this for him.

alexa @clevelandsaplum said...

damn, how beautiful

Bayjb said...

I'm actually on the verge of tears here. That is so sad but so sweet. Sniff.

Anonymous said...

You were right when you said it was the sweetest...and saddest story!!! I didn't know whether to go awww or to cry!

Z said...

no words - you were right, so sweet, and so sad....

Anonymous said...

I'm just wondering how the little girl is going to explain it to future suitors. "I've already been married...but now I'm widowed..."

You have to think about what kind of impact this event might have on her life, knowing that she meant so much to him.

(It was very sweet. I end up thinking about potential stories that could derive from this. Typical.)

WKC said...

:\

Anonymous said...

What about the Eleanor? Just so he was dying, she should be made a widow?

eric1313 said...

HI wanted to marry my neighbor, Wendy of the firey red hair, at age 10 (she was 11--I always had a thing for older "with it" women).

Maybe if I was dying it would have worked out.

This is a sad story, but heartwarming nonetheless.