Brave Reece from Overton proves he is real trooper

Reece Holt from Overton who is battling a rare brain tumour.

Reece Holt was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May this year after suddenly collapsing at home.

In a space of a few hours the Holt family watched their happy active boy go onto life support as he battled a bleed on the brain.

“It was an indescribable feeling,” said mum Rachel Holt.

“You know when you see those moments in films when people receive bad news and they go and be violently sick? You think it can’t be that bad, it is.

“When we found out it was tumour, my whole world just shattered.”

The family were told Reece had Anaplastic Astrocytoma, an extremely rare malignant tumour that affects only about 10 children a year.

Now a few months on the 11-year-old Star Wars fan is determined to beat his illness and continue to inspire others.

So determined is Reece that just days after having a major seizure he sat his 11 plus exam and got into his dream school for next September, Lancaster Royal Grammar.

“When he came out of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital he still insisted on taking the exam,” said Rachel.

“He could barely see, his eyes were streaming, he was so poorly but wanted to give it a go.

“When we found out I couldn’t stop crying.”

In August Reece began the first of 12 chemotherapy cycles which he will undergo once a month until next July.

Despite a gruelling treatment programme Reece has had quite the year.

The St Helens CofE Primary School pupil won Primary School pupil of the year at our Education Awards in November, raised more than £2,500 for Clatterbridge Cancer centre, where he had radiotherapy, by shaving his head with younger brother Callum and raised £9500 for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

“To see what he has overcome is just amazing, he’s doing so well,” said Rachel.

Reece and Rachel have set up “Team Reece” and hope to get the group registered as a charity – raising nearly £4,000 so far to go towards research for brain tumours in children. Although Reece spent his birthday in hospital his mum treated him to see the new Star Wars film Rogue One.