Parents’ heartbreak at Smiley Riley’s tragic death
Tributes have been paid to a larger-than-life four-year-old known as “Smiley Riley” who tragically died after a short battle with leukaemia.
Riley Bourne started showing signs of chickenpox, including the blister spots and feeling lethargic, on Sunday, February 12
ut on Thursday last week, when Riley started coughing up blood, his parents called in paramedics.
The youngster, who lived in Park Wood, Maidstone, with his 24-year-old mum Joanne and three-month-old baby brother Roman, was taken to Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury.
It was there that doctors became concerned after a blood test showed some abnormal cells and transferred him to St George’s Hospital in London for further investigation.
Doctors found on Friday last week that, along with chicken pox, Riley had acute myeloid leukaemia, an aggressive form of cancer which attacks white blood cells that fight infection.
Although Riley had chemotherapy on Saturday, his body could not cope, and his parents had to make the heart-breaking decision to let him go on Monday.
On Wednesday, they paid tribute to their little boy who loved everything Disney, and made everyone who met him smile.
His mother, Joanne Bourne, said: “He was particularly fond of Toy Story, and we’d decorated his bedroom with all sorts of Toy Story stuff. Whenever people came to the house he’d ask if they wanted to see his room.
“He would also always dance around. He never had lessons, but if you put on music, he would dance around to it.”
Riley adored his baby brother, Roman, now three months old.
Miss Bourne said: “Riley was absolutely besotted with him. When I was pregnant I found him organising his toys one day and I asked what he was doing, and he replied ‘I’m just getting some of the best toys out so my baby brother can have them when he is older’.
“We kept having to tell him to leave Roman alone because he just loved giving him kisses and cuddles.”
Miss Bourne, a full-time mum, said she and her partner Nick Riddall, 27, from Tonbridge, have been overwhelmed by everyone’s kindness.
She said: “We can’t thank everyone enough for their support. We’d like to especially thank the staff at the paediatric intensive care unit at St George’s Hospital, and also the Ronald McDonald House Charities which meant we could stay up in London.
“Without both of them it would have been a completely different experience. The staff at the hospital did everything they could to help Riley, and without the housing we could have missed the chance to say goodbye.” B .