Five years ago this month, Jackson Hall was diagnosed with leukaemia.
He was two years old in February 2020, when his parents Sam and Shaun Hall noticed a rash that wouldn’t go away.
Concerned, they took him to their local hospital where blood tests were taken – further testing revealed Jackson had T-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Now aged seven, Jackson – from Sutton in London – had three years and two months of chemotherapy treatment before he rang the bell to mark the end of his cancer treatment 21 months ago.
Due to his cancer fight, Jackson missed his entire reception year and 80% of year one – but now he’s settled back into lessons with his classmates.
Sam said: “Jackson’s been able to return to school full time, and despite missing so much he continues to thrive. We are now able to do things with him that was never possible during his treatment.
“Jackson has always remained happy despite what he’s gone through. Seeing him happy made it easier for us to get through the hard times.
“He has achieved so much over the last five years – from hitting remission early to learning to walk again – we’re so proud of him and hope he continues to do well.”
Throughout his journey with leukaemia, Jackson received care from both St George’s and the Royal Marsden through their joint paediatric oncology service.
Sam said: “Everyone at St George’s has been incredible. They have been there for us every step of the way and are like family to us.
“We just can’t thank them enough.”
Shaun added: “Everything that St George’s has done, from the very beginning, has been reassuring.
“The nurses on Pinckney ward have always gone above and beyond for us and we are thankful for everything they have done for us as a family.”
When Jackson was first diagnosed, he was the baby of the family with an older sister Ava.
He is now a big brother to Louie, who was born last June, and Jackson – who is a car fan – thoroughly enjoys his new protective role.
“Jackson is loving being a big brother to Louie,” Sam said.
“At the moment, both Jackson and Ava give lots of cuddles to their baby brother. But I know Jackson will love it when Louie can sit and play cars with him.
“We are really looking forward to the future and doing lots of simple things that we couldn’t do during Jackson’s treatment like family days out.”
Jackson has check-ups every three months and will be declared cancer-free if he gets the all clear after five years.
