Teenager loses fight with bone cancer

Published date25 May 2021
Date25 May 2021
Publication titleEvening Chronicle
His funeral takes place tomorrow, the day after what would have been his 16th birthday.

The Monkseaton youngster died on Wednesday, May 5, with his family at his side.

His parents informed family and friends as well as Whitley Bay High School, where he was in Year 11.

Speaking on behalf of the family, mum Linzi said: "Josh was truly beautiful, he was strong, brave, courageous, kind, selfless, inspirational. In fact, Josh was incredible!

"He was faced with something bigger than any of us wanted to allow, yet he did it without complaint and his usual sense of humour."

"We will miss you forever, Josh. We are in awe. We are completely heart broken."

A letter addressed to Whitley Bay High School students was sent out by head teacher Steve Wilson.

Mr Wilson wrote: "Josh has been living with cancer for 15 months and conducted himself with immense dignity and good humour.

"Josh was a fun, brave and kind member of our school who will be sorely missed.

"He was a talented artist, in particular, and all his teachers were very fond of him. His cheeky, enthusiastic approach to life brought great joy to those who spent time with him.

"He enhanced the life of everyone he knew and was a credit to his family and to us."

The school offered private spaces and support for students affected by the news.

Josh discovered he had the disease after he injured his arm playing with his local team Rockcliff RFC a couple of weeks before Christmas in 2019 when aged 14.

As the pain got worse on New Year's Day he went to an out-ofhours surgery for tests and after an X-Ray and an MRI scan, he was sent to see a cancer specialist at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Two days later, following several tests and a biopsy, Josh and his family were told he had osteosarcoma - a form of bone cancer.

He was admitted to the teenage cancer unit on January...

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