Reece's dying wish

Elleanor Pursglove and Reece Fleming (best pals)

An eight-year old boy got his dying wish; he was “married” to his sweetheart before dying of leukemia. With only weeks to live, Reece Fleming proposed to his friend Elleanor Pursglove at a laser tag party. After accepting the proposal, the parents set up a make believe wedding at Fleming’s home in Maxworth, Derby. Fleming’s mother, Lorraine, said Reese told her, “ I can go now” after his wish was granted.

The 28-year-old mother said: ""He was so proud of her, and we were proud of them both."Reece was diagnosed with leukaemia in July 2004, when he was four. He fought the disease for four years until May when doctors told him he had just weeks to live. Ms Fleming, said she and stepdad Mick Thompson helped him achieve as much as possible before dying, including marrying his sweetheart. The young sweethearts went to dinner in a limousine and the families established a pretend wedding with rings and a certificate. 

The ceremony was held on July 4; afterward, Reece died the next day while at home with his family. At the funeral, mourners walked behind a horse drawn hearse. Ms Fleming said, "Even on the Saturday he died, he got out of bed and walked to the sofa. "He always tried walking, right to the end, so we thought if he walked for us then we would walk for him." 

Although I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child, my wife and I spend our days trying to insure we enjoy our time with our sons. Reading this story may make you want to give your children an extra hug or tell them one more time how much you love them. Although the parents of Reece Fleming only had him for eight years, he left an imprint that will be with them forever