Three-year-old's rash was put down to viral infection but was far more serious

When Daniel Squibbs noticed a rash across his youngest son’s body, he thought the tot had a viral infection.

The dad took three-year-old Tommy to a walk-in centre but was advised to go to A&E immediately.

Daniel and his schoolteacher wife Charlotte, 38, rushed the youngster to Royal Oldham Hospital where their worst nightmares were realised.

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A doctor diagnosed Tommy, who has Down syndrome and is non-verbal, with leukaemia.

Daniel, who lives in the Whitworth area of Rochdale, can recall the moment the pair were given the news.

“It was a massive shock,” the 40-year-old said. “Obviously, we were heartbroken that he was going to have to go through it all.

“My first thought was, what treatment can we do? What can we do to get him better straight away? A lot of things go through your mind.”

Tommy, who has older brothers Reggie, six, and Louie, nine, was immediately sent for a surgery to allow him to have chemotherapy.

Since his diagnosis on Monday, September 4, he has already had one round of chemotherapy at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

“Unfortunately, he will get a bit sick,” football coach Daniel, who has been running football club Dan’s Dribblers for 10 years, said.

“The surgery he had was to put a valve in so the chemo can go in straight away. It was horrendous.

“He’s a little fighter. It’s quite horrendous, if I’m honest. It’s not nice because he’s non-verbal as well, so he just keeps saying stop by putting up his hand.

“When he’s looking at you saying, ‘Make them stop,’ there’s nothing you can do.”

In a tragic Facebook post made by Dan and his wife Charlotte, the couple said: “Today we are sharing