Lanarkshire boy given heartbreaking diagnosis after suffering sore leg at nursery

Jonathan Blackburn

17 November 2024 at 3:15 am·2-min read

Cooper Dunn who was diagnosed with leukaemia aged just two years old. — -Credit: (Image: BBC Children in Need)

A Lanarkshire boy was diagnosed with leukaemia after getting a sore leg at nursery and his heart-warming story was shared with Children in Need viewers on Friday night.

Cooper Dunn, from Lanarkshire, was just two years old when he was rushed to A&E by mum Cailean with a sore leg. Cailean said "life changed" when two doctors told her that little Cooper had cancer.

Cailean shared the story with BBC Children in Need on Friday night (November 15). She said: "Cooper was a couple months shy of his third birthday and the nursery informed me that he had been complaining that his leg was sore and that they had been carrying him about for the last hour.

"So I decided to take him to A&E to have him looked over. The doctor said because she couldn’t find anything physical wrong with him apart from the obvious limp that she was going to run a blood test.

"Two doctors came in and said that they were very sorry but it was leukaemia. Your life literally changes overnight. Team Jak used to bring in things like crafts, wee games or music therapy.

"The first thing I noticed was actually how smiley people were. I feel like Team Jak was a total lifeline. I don't think they realise how amazing they are."

Cooper was supported by Jak's Den, a charity headquartered in Livingston that supports young people under 25 living with cancer. The charity has a presence in Glasgow with a pop-up site.

The charity provides practical, social and emotional support to children and young people with cancer. The charity visited Cooper in hospital, providing activities in arts, crafts and music to make the time away from home less daunting.

Colette, a Children, Young People and Family Co-ordinator at Team Jak Foundation- Jak's Den, said: "When a cancer diagnosis happens they're isolated to protect them from infection.

"Team Jak are very privileged that we get to visit the families when they’re in hospital, and we can be a friendly face because he needs us. We have seen Cooper grow and learn and develop into this fantastic wee cracker of a boy."

You can find out more about Jak's Den here and donate to BBC's Children in Need here.

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