Boy, 2, diagnosed with leukaemia after four doctors missed warning signs

A family has been left devastated after allegedly missed the warning signs of theiron four occasions. The family of Chester Byrne, two, from Newry in Northern Ireland, took him to the doctors, for a private GP consultation, and a number of trips to their local A&E.

But it wasn't until April 2 that he was diagnosed with , a "rapidly progressing" form of blood and bone cancer. His first visit to medical staff came a day after he bumped his head while playing with his four-year-old brother. His mum Emma believes the bump was a "blessing in disguise" as it drew her attention to a number of worrying symptoms he was displaying.

But doctors failed to recognise the severity of the symptoms, saying that the pinprick rash, lethargy, pale complexion, reduced appetite and insomnia, were just because he was tired. Speaking to , mum Emma - who "instinctively knew" something was seriously wrong with her little boy - has described getting his diagnosis as a battle.

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She said: "Chester's symptoms were all condensed down within a two-week period. I've tried to reflect back on maybe there were signs I didn't spot, but they're just typical of your standard two year old who picks up eveything. It all happened quite quickly.

"He was displaying a pinprick rash on both his shins. I'd done the glass test and at this stage it was going away. His appetite then went completely down the drain, he wouldn't sleep, he was extremely lethargic.

"He's a very active child for a two year old, he is your typical child who would swing off the chandeliers if he had the chance. Him being very lethargic was one of the major signs for me, he wouldn't walk, he wouldn't even go down the stairs. He would whimper as if he was in quite a lot of pain.

"Another major sign was his skin colour. He is quite naturally pale, but he was actually grey, it was quite disturbing. You look back thinking it was right in my face, how did I not see the accumulation of so much."

Emma said Chester's condition "rapidly went downhill" within the space of three days after his fall. After another trip to the doctors, they visited their local A&E at Daisy Hill Hospital after the youngster hadn't slept in 72 hours - to be told his symptoms were down to exhaustion.

After a few days of being more settled, the two-year-old started "screaming and shouting" while refusing to walk, almost a week after the ordeal began. His parents called the doctors again and pushed for the youngster to get a blood test, but were instead told to keep an eye on his temperature and call back if things progress.

The next morning, Emma and Chester went to pick his four-year-old brother up from nursery when the two-year-old's condition worsened. "By the time we had walked back into our estate, five minutes from where I had picked my son Reuben up from school, he was holding Chester's hand in the pram," Emma explained.

"Reuben got really upset and said, 'mummy, clean my hand,' and I looked at his hand and it was covered in blood, and I said, 'did you fall in school?' He said it wasn't him but Chester. I put my head in the pram, and he was soaked in blood from his nose, down his mouth, onto the top of his chest and his t-shirt, just completely saturated in blood.

"I ran home with both kids and went to A&E. This was our second visit, and fourth time raising concerns all within a week. I went straight down to the pediatrician waiting area, and one of the nurses that was on shift the Saturday we came in recognised me and came straight over.

"I said 'this is his name, his date of birth, if you have to stand and do the bloods in front of me, I am not moving, I am not having a conversation with anyone, I'm not sitting down, I need bloods done.' In my heart of hearts I actually knew because I had plugged the symptoms into , and the symptoms were ticking all the boxes."

Doctors did a rapid blood test and within an hour and confirmed Emma's fears. A month on, Chester is in the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children in Belfast and has endured five rounds of chemotherapy.

While on the hospital ward, his parents who have been chatting with others who also had to fight for their child's cancer diagnosis. The family have set up Chester's Chance, an awareness campaign highlighting the signs of symptoms of childhood cancer to give other parents the confidence to recognise them.

Chester's Chance are also fundraising for the Children's Cancer Unit charity to support those who have helped care for the two-year-old and his family. Emma said: "The team here are phenomenal, we've seen firsthand how much their help benefits not only the children but families like us as well.

"We wanted to just try and give back, because when you're sitting at a bedside, and you're feeling so helpless, there's literally nothing that you can do."