A Forfar boy who twice beat cancer and survived a cardiac arrest has died aged 11.
Charlie Smith passed away on Monday with his family at his bedside only two hours after arriving home from the Sick Kids’ Hospital in Edinburgh.
The P7 pupil at Langlands Primary School overcame cancer as a youngster but this year he was diagnosed with tumours on his spine.
Heartbroken parents Liam and Riona have described Charlie as “one of a kind”.
Dad’s tribute to son who ‘always got up fighting’
Liam told The Courier: “Charlie was a diamond. Nothing ever beat that kid – he was a smiler and always got up fighting.”
Just two and a half years into his life, Charlie had already beaten kidney and pelvic cancer.
At the time, Liam and Riona spoke of their joy at their son being in remission.
Charlie started school and was well until he was in primary six.
In October 2022 he began to feel unwell and was diagnosed with thyroid cancer after he and his parents noticed a lump in his throat.
Doctors removed that and he was doing well when, in August 2023, he began to complain of pain in his legs, which led to problems with his bladder.
Then in February this year, he was diagnosed with tumours on his spine.
He received three cycles of chemotherapy but Liam said the treatment did not work well.
He said: “In July they changed his treatment regime but by September he began to have trouble swallowing.
“Initially it was thought it might just be the side effects of the chemo but his condition continued to deteriorate and he was taken to Ninewells.
“I was in seeing him one day in September and had just popped out when the nurse came running for me.
“Charlie had had a cardiac arrest and when I ran back in they were carrying out CPR on him.
“They managed to bring him back after eight minutes.”
The following day, Charlie was put into an induced coma and transferred to the Sick Kids’ Hospital.
Liam said: “After a scan there the next day doctors told us there was no more treatment available for Charlie – that he was very poorly.
“The cancer had spread on his spine and was affecting his brain stem as well.
“We were warned that we probably had around 48 hours with him and that he wouldn’t wake up.
“Two hours later Charlie was awake and trying to speak.”
Charlie’s family stayed with him in hospital as much as they could over the next few weeks as they were not allowed to take him out.
Then on Sunday, doctors met his parents and said that if they wanted to take him home to Forfar, now was the time.
Liam said: “We didn’t know what to do but the doctors said it was now or never – we were told he might not even make it home.”
However, he did make it home and died later that day with his parents and siblings Kelseigh, 13, Rileigh 12, Lewis, seven, and Harris, eight months, at his side.
Liam added: “We are so glad we could bring him home to die with his family.
“Charlie had the worst time but he still came back smiling – he really was a one-off.”
A funeral is planned at Parkgrove Crematorium at Friockheim but a date has not yet been set.
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