Brave Lloyd always had smile on his face
He was the little boy who loved sport.
Wherever there was a swimming gala, sports event or football match, Lloyd Burton would be there – right in the thick of things.
But on Wednesday his young life was cut short, when he died two years after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Speaking from their home in Shrewsbury, the 11-year-old's devastated parents told of their cheeky, mischievous boy who lit up any room he entered and who, for thousands, became the face of cancer.
"He was a brave boy," said his mother Di, 49. "In fact he was amazing, how he dealt with it all was incredible really. He knew the names of all his drugs and he understood everything that was going on.
"He always had a list of questions for his consultant, the first one being 'when can I go home?'. He didn't like going to hospital but he didn't question why he had to do it as long as we were with him. I feel honoured to have spent that time with him.
"But through it all he kept his sense of humour, right up until the very end. And that is what I will always remember. He had the biggest, brightest smile and a mischievous sense of humour."
Since he died at home on Wednesday messages of condolence have poured in – bringing great comfort to his parents and sisters Issy, 13 and Hannah, 16.
"I really want to thank the local community for all the support that we have had," said his father David, 58. "It has brought a great deal of comfort to us all. The support has been outstanding. He was a very special boy to many, many people."
Lloyd, a pupil at Meole Brace Primary School, made headlines when he met David Beckham and Jose Mourinho and was once scouted by a string of football clubs including Manchester United. He was diagnosed with medulloblastoma in May 2013.
Lloyd, who used to play football for Bayston Hill under nines, met Mourinho last December when almost £1,000 was raised in his honour through the sale of a painting of the Chelsea manager, signed by "the Special One" when the Blues played Shrewsbury Town in the Capital One Cup.
He met Beckham while filming for Stand Up To Cancer, the joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 last October.
"He touched many people, even those who didn't know him" said Di. "I was so proud when he was asked to take part in the Stand Up To Cancer campaign as we need kinder treatments for cancer to be developed."
After being diagnosed he received treatment at both the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Birmingham Children's Hospital.
He underwent rigorous treatment for his cancer including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy which left him with life-changing side effects and confined him to a wheelchair.
His mother slept by his bedside each night ensuring her son, who by the time he died was paralysed from the neck down, had his every need met. "I just did what any mum would do," said Di. "If he had an itch, I would scratch it, if his hat wasn't on right I would make sure it was. But it worked both ways. He kept an eye out for me too, we had a wonderful relationship. He was a joker and would make sure I had music on my phone or my iPod. Although he was in pain he would always ask me if I was ok.
"He didn't complain once, despite everything that was going on. And his illness brought us as a family together as a team. The whole family became very close. It was a real team effort."
