Always remembering

Ollie

Ollie was a happy and cheeky chilled-out boy. He was the biggest fan of PJ Mask, Paw Patrol and especially Super Mario. He was known for giving out high fives and loved playing hide & seek and catch! Ollie passed away when he was four years old.

Ollie’s story  

Just before his second birthday little Ollie was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma. In late November 2018, Ollie’s parents had started to notice a change in him.

“He became a very sad child. He was getting very clingy and unsociable – completely the opposite to how he usually was,” said Gary and Lucy. “He stopped enjoying the things he loved doing like going to nursery and swimming. He stopped eating and only wanted to sit watching TV.”

They noticed his skin becoming translucent and his veins being very visible. “His stomach was also very swollen and his belly button bulged out. He was very irritable when it came to changing his nappy.”

They took Ollie to the doctors on many occasions with high temperatures and sometimes sickness. They thought it was just a viral infection and it would work itself out. But after several visits, Gary and Lucy insisted on seeing their local GP who immediately referred Ollie to the Paediatric ward at Luton and Dunstable hospital.

Blood tests were taken which found Ollie to be anaemic. But just before he was to be discharged, a doctor asked to feel Ollie’s stomach. An emergency ultrasound was called for and a tumour was found in his abdomen.

Ollie was immediately transferred to Addenbrooke’s hospital. After several days of testing and scans, it was finally confirmed on January 9th 2019 that Ollie had stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma.

“He had a tumour in his abdomen around one of his kidneys and another tumour growing behind his right eye, which was pushing on his eyeball. The cancer had also spread to his bone marrow,” said Gary and Lucy.

Ollie started chemotherapy the day after his diagnosis and then had surgery and more intensive chemotherapy, which involved being in isolation for weeks.

“We already noticed the difference in him. It was like we had our old Ollie back. Running around, playing with his cars and wanting to interact with other children once again.”

Ollie’s mum, Lucy

Ollie went on to have radiotherapy before starting several months of immunotherapy. Following radiotherapy, Ollie had clear scans in September 2019 and was doing really well. Immunotherapy started in November 2019 and Ollie remained clear of disease all the way through to the end of his treatment in April 2020. 

In July 2020 Ollie became suddenly unwell and was admitted to Addenbrooke's. An MRI scan found a tumour sitting on his seventh and eighth cranial nerve near the brain stem which, following a biopsy, was confirmed to be relapsed neuroblastoma. 10-20% of the tumour was removed during surgery and with the intensive chemotherapy that followed, Ollie was back in remission. Ollie continued on to receive more chemotherapy, and cranial-spinal radiation.  

Ollie’s parents and treating team decided the treatment pathway for Ollie would be to access a clinical trial that includes two cycles of 8H9 (radioimmunotherapy) treatment followed by hu3f8 antibody treatment in Barcelona. The family then hoped that Ollie would be eligible to receive the bivalent vaccine clinical trial in New York.

Ollie's family travelled to Barcelona to begin treatment but sadly Ollie relapsed. He received chemotherapy in Spain until he was stable enough to fly home. Back home scans showed further disease progression.

Ollie's family shared the devastating news that their beautiful boy passed away on Sunday 18th July 2021 surrounded by his family and all his favourite toys.

"My god, we miss you so much Ollie, but it comforts us to think you are no longer suffering and by now you have found all your C2 friends and have invited them all to the beach to dig holes. Shine bright darling boy."

Ollie's family


Donate in loving memory of Ollie

A donation in memory of Ollie, will help precious children like him and their families.

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Donations made in loving memory of children 

Funds raised in loving memory of Ollie will be used to support other children like Ollie and their families through Solving Kids' Cancer UK's activities. Any funds raised through a previous fundraising campaign for access to treatment which were not spent on the child's treatment and pastoral needs are used to support other children and families through Solving Kids' Cancer UK's activities.

Donations and comments

Joyce Bagley£10.00

Donated on: 18th July 2024

Ollie, , play happy on your lovely beach with your friends and be careful in the water , you wil forever be my always , love you to the moon and back Nanny Joyce xx 😘 💙

Denise Williams£10.00

Donated on: 14th May 2024

Savannah Carvalho

Donated on: 14th May 2024

Anonymous donations£20.00

Donated on: 14th May 2024

Anonymous£10.20

Donated on: 3rd October 2022

Anonymous£3,011.00

Donated on: 12th November 2021

Manual Adjustment.

Claire Beard£10.20

Donated on: 2nd September 2021

Sending so much love to you all - especially gorgeous Ollie. We're touched personally by your story and wish you all the strength and positivity in the world. Ollie you're a superstar!! xx

Claire Beard£10.20

Donated on: 2nd August 2021

Sending so much love to you all - especially gorgeous Ollie. We're touched personally by your story and wish you all the strength and positivity in the world. Ollie you're a superstar!! xx

Sue Cross£10.20

Donated on: 18th July 2021

Good luck dear brave little Ollie.

Carlos Fontes£10.20

Donated on: 17th July 2021

Toby Barrett£10.20

Donated on: 10th July 2021

Sending love to Ollie

Anonymous£10.20

Donated on: 5th July 2021

Claire Beard£10.20

Donated on: 2nd July 2021

Sending so much love to you all - especially gorgeous Ollie. We're touched personally by your story and wish you all the strength and positivity in the world. Ollie you're a superstar!! xx

James Fox£20.40

Donated on: 1st July 2021

heard about Ollie on LBC James O'Brien, wishing you all the best.

David Robinson£10.00

Donated on: 1st July 2021

All the best, Dave and Liz (Kira and Micheal's friends)

Mark Brewer£20.40

Donated on: 1st July 2021

Heard about the fundraiser for Ollie on LBC yesterday. What an amazing little fella. Praying for you and your family and keep up the good work for what sounds like an amazing charity.

Anonymous£153.00

Donated on: 1st July 2021

Natalie Coleman£10.20

Donated on: 1st July 2021

Oliver Hadfield£5.10

Donated on: 1st July 2021

You and your family deserve so much more than what you've gone through. So much respect for how your grandmother held herself on LBC while she describe what you're all going through. From one Ollie to another, stay strong.

Anonymous£20.40

Donated on: 1st July 2021

Heard you on LBC and it really touched my heart. Love and prayers go out to you and Ollie. x

Anonymous£30.60

Donated on: 1st July 2021

Heard your story on the radio. Good luck, little man. Praying for you. Stay strong mum and dad.

Ilse Eilbeck£20.40

Donated on: 1st July 2021

For Ollie Sweeney with love From Ilse from the Netherlands

Richard Willcocks£10.20

Donated on: 30th June 2021

We heard the story of Ollie on James O'Brien's radio show on LBC.

Paula Fitzsimon£10.20

Donated on: 30th June 2021

Heard about Ollie on James O'Brien's show today. My heart goes out to you all. Wishing you all the best. x

David Dodds£5.10

Donated on: 30th June 2021

Anonymous£10.00

Donated on: 30th June 2021

Anonymous£20.40

Donated on: 30th June 2021

Geoffrey Claypole£10.20

Donated on: 30th June 2021

Good luck

Anonymous£10.00

Donated on: 30th June 2021

Linda Newman£17.34

Donated on: 30th June 2021

Such an amazing and brave little boy. I hope you reach your target soon