A St Helens boy who was described as being “full of life” by his heartbroken mum died after collapsing in her arms on the way to a walk-in centre. Leo Timney-Peers had been ill throughout the day, with his mum, Keeley Timney, telling the ECHO how he had suffered with sickness.
As they walked along Parr Street in St Helens town centre on Thursday, May 14, Leo collapsed in Keeley’s arms, before she then began performing CPR on the six-year-old. Two people, a man and a woman, helped the 20-year-old mum try and rescusitate her son before an ambulance arrived and rushed Leo to Whiston Hospital.
Despite the best efforts of those involved, Leo died in Whiston Hospital later that day.
Paying tribute to her only child, Keeley said: “He was just full of life from the minute he woke up to when he went to bed.
“He was bouncing off the walls and he was just a gorgeous character. Everyone loved him and he was always smiling.
“He always has the kindest heart and he was just amazing.”
Leo Timney-Peers with his mum Keeley Timney
Keeley, who works as an ancillary carer and lives in Parr, added: “He was kind-hearted, outgoing, and beautiful inside and out. He always tried to make people happy, if anyone was upset he was upset.”
A GoFundMe has since been set up to help Keeley and her family pay for Leo’s funeral, with the family still waiting for answers as to what caused the boy’s death.
People can donate to the GoFundMe here.
Speaking about how she feels less than a week on from her son’s death, Keeley said: “I am absolutely devastated. I don’t think it will ever feel real.
“It’s just mental, he was perfect and he didn’t desere this. It’s absolutely awful.”
She added: “Everyone tried their best when it happened. A man and woman were going past and they jumped in to help no questions asked. There were quite a few people surrounding us to try and help me while Leo was in the back of the ambulance.
Leo Timney-Peers, six, and his mum Keeley Timney
“Everyone tried their best but there was nothing that anyone could say to make it beter. We still don’t know why this happened.”
Writing on the fundraiser, Keeley said: “We unfortunately lost our gorgeous boy Leo on the 14th May. Anyone who knew him knew that he was the most beautiful boy.
“He had a smile that could light up any room he walked on. He never failed to make us smile every single day. He had the most kindest heart.
“We are setting this up to give our boy the send off he deserves. He deserves the whole entire world and we can only try to give him that. Any contribution whether that be sending money or just simply sharing is appreciated very much.
“Thank you for reading. Let’s give my gorgeous baby the best, because he genuinely was the best.”
Following Leo’s death, his school, Broad Oak Primary School, closed to all pupils on Friday in memory of the boy.
A spokesperson for St Helens Council told the ECHO: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of a child at Broad Oak Primary School, and our thoughts are with the family and the wider school community.
“The headteacher has closed the school today out of respect for the family and the devastating grief they face, felt also by pupils and staff.”
Merseyside Police told the ECHO last week: “We can confirm that emergency services were in attendance following the death of a child in St Helens yesterday, Thursday, May 14. At around 4.50pm we received a call that a six-year-old boy had collapsed on Parr Street and a passer-by carried out CPR until emergency services arrived at the scene.
“Sadly the child was pronounced deceased at hospital and his family is being supported. A post-mortem will be carried out to establish the full circumstances and cause of death and enquiries are ongoing.”