A Tribute to my Very Special Friend
Spencer Javi Roberts
19th February 2004 – 4th January 2008
This little boy of nearly three had so much energy and kept all of us on our toes throughout the year. Spencer was diagnosed with stage IV Neuroblastoma on December 11th 2006, just 10 days before me. He was given a 15 to 20% chance of cure. He was very ill and was sent immediately to the Royal Marsden Hospital. The first time I met Spencer was during my first stay at the Royal Marsden in January 2007, he was a feisty character and not afraid to approach or talk to anyone. His mummy, Amanda (Panda, to me) was telling mummy how he had pulled out his Hickman line on New Years Eve, so we knew he certainly was a little character. Spencer very soon became my very best friend and Panda says Spencer even told all his friends at home that I was his girlfriend.
Spencer would race around on his trike through the ward corridors and I did my best to keep up on my little feet....I loved it. We loved to be outside, so when mr wiggles wasn’t attached to an IV pump we would all go outside and play, he loved to pretend to crash his trike, especially into daddy, but sometimes I don’t think he realised that he could actually crash and hurt himself!
Spencer’s treatment was not plain sailing; everyone who knew him had a saying for Spencer, “In your own time Spence”. Nothing was ever straight forward. He was one of the 2% of children that couldn’t harvest stem cells, so after numerous attempts, about 4 I think, they finally got a bone marrow harvest so he could start his high dose chemotherapy. I was ‘lucky’ and my stem cell harvest was successful first time so I ended up ahead of him with my treatment, but importantly for mummy, daddy and me, we did spend most of our high dose treatment in hospital together, seeing him each day lifted me when I was down and hopefully I, in my little way, did the same for him.
Throughout the year our two families became very good friends, I loved Spence, he loved me, and our mummy’s and daddy’s just clicked, mummy and Panda never went more than a few days without speaking to each other when we weren’t in hospital. We even managed a little trip to see them and go to the beach for a paddle.
We helped each other through the tough times and also managed to have a few laughs and giggles along the way. We don’t know how we would have got through it without them, perhaps we wouldn’t have.
Spencer became very ill during November 2007 and was admitted to his local hospital in Brighton, they found out that Spencer had relapsed at the end of this month. Devastation hit us all, Panda, Paul and Amalia, his brave sister and my new Big sister, were amazing and cared for my special little Spencer at home. We wish everyday that things could have been different, and Spencer was able to get through this but this was not to be.
He gained his Angel wings on the night of Friday January 4th 2008, peacefully in his sleep; he was a very special little boy, a very beautiful little boy and a very brave little boy, who will never, ever be forgotten.
Sometimes I talk to mummy and daddy about little Spence, we look up at the stars and find the very shiniest because we know that’s where he is, and think about the gorgeous little boy.
Peace be with you now Spencer, and look after your Grandad and don’t give him too much trouble!!!
Panda, Paul and Amalia will always remain amongst our very closest of friends, above almost everyone else they know and understand what this past year has involved. We thank them and love them for all the love, support and friendship they have shown and given to us over the year and continue to do so.