A “SMILEY” five-year-old boy died just days after being admitted to hospital with stomach pains.
Little Ellis James Hamer-Holland likely passed away due to “rare side effects of medication”, an inquest heard.
2
The youngster, who was a huge Disney fan, was undergoing intensive cancer treatment after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) aged three.
The condition affects the blood and bone marrow and impacts around 800 people every year in the UK.
Ellis was treated in 2019 but relapsed in May 2021 and was given a bone marrow transplant in December, Manchester Coroner’s Court heard.
Once doctors were “happy with his progress”, he was discharged, area coroner Zak Golombek told the court.
But after a lumbar puncture procedure, which involves a needle being inserted into your lower back, Ellis was readmitted to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital on April 2, 2022.
He had been suffering with “significant” abdominal pain, which was later revealed to be severe acute pancreatitis – likely a “rare” side effect from drugs he was taking at the time, the court heard.
Ellis died on the ward five days later on April 7.
He had been taking various medicines at the time, including corticosteroids, calcium, and topiramate.
Giving evidence, Dr Gemma Petts, a consultant paediatric, placental and perinatal histopathologist, analysed the potential cause of the boy’s severe acute pancreatitis.
She said medications “can interfere with protective physiological mechanisms”.
Dr Petts admitted she could not say for sure this killed Ellis, it was deemed likely “on the balance of probabilities”.
Another expert, Dr Denise Bonney, a consultant paediatric haematologist, said that the greatest risk of developing pancreatitis falls “within four to 14 days” of corticosteroids being taken.Â
It was “rare” and “unexpected” for Ellis to develop the condition so quickly, the inquest was told.
His official cause of death was recorded as severe acute pancreatitis in a child treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia following a post-mortem.
Recording a narrative conclusion, Mr Golombek said Ellis had “died from rare side effects of necessary treatment”.
Ellis’ family previously described him as a “really funny and charming” little boy who “absolutely loved monster trucks and the Disney movie Cars”.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Speaking to Manchester Evening News, his mum Scarlett Holland added: “He always had a big grin on his face
“We are still struggling to come to terms with his passing and we miss him so, so much.”
2
What is acute lymphoblastic leukemia?
THERE are around 800 new acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) cases every year in the UK.
It accounts for about one per cent of all new cancer cases.
ALL is most common in children under the age of four, but it can occur at any age.
It happens when cancerous cells build up in the bone marrow, until eventually there is no room for normal blood cells to be made there.
As it is acute, it develops very quickly and needs immediate treatment, which is often chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant.
Symptoms include tiredness, unexplained bruising or bleeding, weight loss and infections that last longer or happen more often than normal.
Source: Blood Cancer UK and Cancer Research UK