Debbie Jacobs, mother of 12-year-old cancer victim Jacob Benson, calls for more research to be conducted into Leukaemia on International Childhood Cancer Day

A mother whose 12-year-old son died of leukaemia has called for more research to be conducted into the blood cancer.

Old Burghclere resident Debbie Jacobs lost her 12-year-old son Jacob Benson in 2010 after a four-year battle and since his death she has worked with the charity Leukaemia UK to raise awareness about the cancer and to raise funds for vital research.

Last Thursday was International Childhood Cancer Day, and Ms Jacobs, 56, wants to see more research not only into treatments that cure leukaemia but also ones that are less gruelling for the children undergoing them and their families.

“He was very sick at times, tired and emotional,” she said.

“There were times when Jacob’s walking was affected by the treatment because of the weakness of muscles.

“I had to piggy back him upstairs to the bathroom and sometimes we had to use a wheelchair.”

Jacob had Down’s syndrome, and people with the genetic condition are between 10 and 30 times more likely to develop leukaemia.

In 2006, Jacob was in mainstream school, enjoying life with his friends and talking about becoming a chef when he grew up.

He was then diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) after developing a rash and fatigue.

Jacob underwent years of harsh chemotherapy that left him at times weak, emotional and a much smaller version of himself in body but not in spirit, before he died on October 16, 1998.

Ms Jacobs said: “The hole he left in everyone’s life was immense.

“I can honestly admit that not once during those four years did Jacob ever complain. His incredibly sunny, positive outlook on life kept us all going.

“Only once did he ask me ‘am I going to die’ to which I replied, ‘we are all going to die darling one day’.

“It was Jacob’s outlook on life that carried all of us through the saddest time of our lives.

“His legacy has focused us on fundraising for Leukaemia UK in the hopes that better treatments can be found so other families don’t have to go through the loss that we have had to endure.”

The most common type of leukaemia in children is ALL and around 400 under-14s are diagnosed with it in the UK every year.

Research into leukaemia has brought about a dramatic increase in survival rates in children in the last 50 years.

According to Cancer Research UK, only 33 per cent of children would live for more than five years after diagnosis between 1971 to 1975 – now 88 per cent survive.

Leukaemia UK is funding research projects which aim to find kinder, more effective treatments for ALL and other blood cancers that affect children.

But the charity, and Ms Jacobs, are calling for more donations so they can invest in further projects.

Leukaemia UK chief executive Fiona Hazell said: “Childhood leukaemia affects the whole family in the most terrible way.

“The gruelling, lengthy nature of the chemotherapy and other treatments can effectively destroy years of normal childhood and put a massive emotional strain on everyone around them.

“Research has brought about dramatic increases in survival rates over the past 50 years and given precious hope to parents and those youngsters who have been given a devastating leukaemia diagnosis.

“But chemotherapy is still the main treatment, as it has been since the 1960s.

“Although breakthroughs are happening all the time, it’s only by investing in more research that we will bring them about.

“That’s why on International Childhood Cancer Day we’re renewing our call for donations so that we can fund more research into kinder, more effective treatments.”

To find out more and to donate to the charity, visit https://www.leukaemiauk.org.uk/