THE FAMILY of a boy who was diagnosed with leukaemia after complaining of back pain have shared the harrowing story.

Oliver Williams, 16, from Polegate, initially complained of back pain and was taken to hospital but they “couldn’t find anything wrong with him”.

His family thought it may have been “growing pain” due to Oliver’s height but soon realised it was something far “more sinister.”

Oliver’s family revealed that they only started to realise the seriousness of the situation when they googled the hospital he was transferred to, the Royal Marsden in Surrey, which is a specialist hospital for cancer.

Brogan Blake, who is Oliver’s auntie, from Worthing, said while they thought it was back pain, in reality Oliver’s bones were being attacked by b-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. He was diagnosed in September.

She said: “They said the symptoms that Oliver was experiencing, if you imagine a piece of cloth that is attracting moths which are taking parts away from it.

“This is what the leukaemia is doing to his bones, it attacks white blood cells in the body and the platelets, attacking the bone marrow in his bones.

The Argus: Oliver has been making three trips a week to hospital.Oliver has been making three trips a week to hospital.

“That is where the mobility issues come in where his bones and joints are being attacked.

“While he was there before the diagnosis, we were then bracing ourselves for some very bad news.”

Sian and Richard Williams, Oliver’s parents, have had to stop work to care for Oliver full-time.

Sian, who works in retail, mostly looks after him around the house. While Richard, who is a train driver for Southern Rail, drives Oliver to the Royal Alexandra in Brighton three times a week.

Brogan added: “I think we’re all just in survival mode to be honest. We’ve tried our best to get clued up, the two hospitals have been really really supportive.

“The rest of it is just trying to support my sister and her husband as much as possible.

“They’re both having to give everything to Oliver at the moment. His other siblings, we’re trying to support while they’re looking after Oliver. As a family we’re trying to help in any way possible.”

The Argus: Oliver on the right, with his siblings Jacob, 18, and Emily, 9.Oliver on the right, with his siblings Jacob, 18, and Emily, 9.

Sian and Richard’s family and friends have set up a GoFundMe page to try and help the family financially so they can make modifications to their home for Oliver.

Some of the modifications include converting one of the downstairs rooms into a wet room to make washing for Oliver easier. They are also looking to install ramps at the front of the house and have handles around the house for Oliver.

The fundraiser states that any money raised will also support their “significant” loss of income and added that they would love to give something for the family to look forward to when Oliver has a break in treatment, by going to Centre Parcs for a holiday.

For more information on Oliver’s story, visit the GoFundMe page.

Have you got a story for us? Email news@theargus.co.uk or contact us here.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates sent straight to your inbox.

You can also call us on 01273 021 400.