![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_Claire-and-Noah.jpg\")
Noah Stevenson and mum Claire Brereton have spent weeks in hospital following his leukaemia diagnosis<\/p>\nBrave Noah Stevenson has Down’s Syndrome<\/p>\n
16:21, 11 Dec 2025Updated 05:44, 13 Dec 2025<\/p>\n
Noah Stevenson and mum Claire Brereton have spent weeks in hospital following his leukaemia diagnosis<\/p>\n
Support has flooded in for a 10-year-old boy with Down\u2019s Syndrome – after he was struck down with leukaemia. Noah Stevenson, of Clayton<\/a>, was given the heart-breaking diagnosis in September.<\/p>\n He has spent the last nine weeks receiving treatment in Birmingham Children\u2019s Hospital, alongside his mum Claire Brereton. Now the mother-and-son face having to travel to London for specialist treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital.<\/p>\n Gran Jane Brereton says Noah has had a difficult medical history.<\/p>\n She told StokeonTrentLive: \u201cChildren with Down\u2019s Syndrome obviously suffer with a certain amount of additional needs. But there isn\u2019t a clear blueprint. Each child is slightly different. They have different developments and health issues.<\/p>\n \u201cNoah had open heart surgery when he was a baby and his thyroid plays up a bit. He has learning difficulties too. He also has a bit of a weak immune system. We were always in and out of hospitals with him when he was younger with flus and colds. But he\u2019s always jumped right back. He\u2019s such a little fighter. Nothing stops him.<\/p>\n \u201cBut in many ways, he\u2019s like a regular child. He\u2019s laughy and happy – and he can be very naughty! Everyone in Clayton knows him. He puts a big smile on your face, he\u2019s just fabulous. He\u2019s definitely a bit of a cheeky chappy though.\u201d<\/p>\n Claire and Jane say the family were left \u2018devastated\u2019 following Noah\u2019s latest diagnosis.<\/p>\n \u201cHe got a rash one day, and Claire wasn\u2019t happy with it at all,\u201d Jane recalled. \u201cShe knew something was up. It rang alarm bells straight away. She took him to hospital, while I took over the school run with the other kids. She rang me at teatime. I asked her how everything was going. She said \u2018It\u2019s the worst mum, the worst it could ever be\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been the biggest and most horrendous shock. It\u2019s something that no parent, grandparent or just anyone wants to hear. Everyone who\u2019s found out has been absolutely devastated. You know these things happen, but you never think it will happen to you. When you\u2019re sitting watching Children in Need, you think \u2018how terrible\u2019. It never dawns on you that it could happen to your family one day.\u201d<\/p>\n Sadly, Noah\u2019s treatment has been fraught with difficulties thanks to his pre-existing conditions.<\/p>\n Jane explained: \u201cHe\u2019s been very poorly from the chemotherapy. People with Down\u2019s Syndrome can\u2019t cope with the dosage as much. He broke out in blisters and has been very ill, even from the smaller dose. He\u2019s had sepsis and his lungs have collapsed during his treatment. But he\u2019s such a strong little boy. We\u2019ve all been amazed by how well he\u2019s been fighting it.<\/p>\n \u201cNow he\u2019s on immunotherapy. It\u2019s working better, but it\u2019s affected his heart rate and blood pressure. He\u2019s had to have even more medication to correct that. But after three days he\u2019s had signs of improvement. The steroids have definitely made him grumpy though!\u201d<\/p>\n Noah\u2019s family have now been told he will need to go to Great Ormond Street Hospital to receive specialist care. This has created a daunting financial situation for mum Claire, who is Noah\u2019s full-time carer.<\/p>\n Family friend Sally Jones has now stepped forward to help by kick-starting a variety of fundraisers. Events include a sponsored walk, a Christmas party, and a pool competition.<\/p>\n Jane added: \u201cSally has organised this and done a tremendous job. She says it\u2019s help from one mother to another. Claire is down there all week with him. Her other children go down at the weekend too, so at least she gets to see them a bit too. But they\u2019re really struggling. So the fundraiser is just for the family.\u201d<\/p>\n Stoke and Staffordshire Down\u2019s Syndrome has also started an online fundraiser. You can support Noah and his family by visiting their JustGiving page, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_7e02dec9-f556-40cc-bc5f-f14fac2f5941jfif.jpg\")
Noah Stevenson with mum Claire Brereton before his leukaemia diagnosis<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_b5e0befd-ea29-42bb-9def-78c6b074953ajfif.jpg\")
Noah Stevenson meeting Santa Claus in hospital<\/p>\n