Parents launch appeal in memory of boy, 5

THE parents of a Henley schoolboy who died from a rare form of cancer have launched a fundraising appeal for research and new treatments.

Elliott Peto was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma (stage 4) in October 2021 after complaining of pains in his cheek.

He underwent intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy but died on December 1 last year, aged five.

His parents, Chris Peto and Aimée Day, were told that Elliott’s condition had become terminal less than a month before so they focused his final days on family outings, supported by a JustGiving campaign started by Ms Day’s cousin, Katrina Minoletti.

Now the couple are determined to bring something positive from the devastating loss of their only child and to honour his memory.

The appeal was launched yesterday (Thursday) at his school, Sacred Heart primary in Greys Hill.

Mr Peto said: “We spent the last 14 months trying to work with the best people we could to save him.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to stop him passing away and now we’re going through a period of complex grief. We’re never going to get over it. We both like to be constructive with our time. When Elliott was here we liked to be constructive but now he has passed we have his legacy.

“I wanted to give back and to make sure that, if possible, other children don’t have to go through what we’ve gone through.”

The couple are aiming to raise money for Alice’s Arc, a children’s cancer charity which specifically focuses on Rhabdomyosarcoma.

It was founded by Sara Wakeling after her daughter, Alice, was diagnosed with the rare cancer in 2015. Alice died in October 2019, aged seven.

Since then, the charity has raised nearly £2.5 million to fund research into better treatments.

It has become a community of families, made up of different “arcs” for children who have been diagnosed with the disease.

Elliott’s parents hope that their campaign for Elliott’s Arc will raise awareness of Rhabdomyosarcoma, fund frontline tests leading to quicker diagnoses and lead to less harsh treatments for children and, ultimately, a cure.

Ms Day said: “It feels unbelievable in this day and age that a child who was fit and healthy can die from something so quickly, from something so devastating.

“We’re going to do everything we can to get this thing dealt with. We’re fundraising for research for these smart people, who can figure out what’s going on, why it happens and a better way of dealing with it.

“The fundraisers are going to be in the spirit of Elliott.”