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Harry Daniels was just four-years-old when he was diagnosed with leukaemia two weeks before his parents’ wedding.

Harry, from Caerphilly, had been experiencing chest infections, as well as bruising and rashes on his body before his diagnosis.

After much consideration and discussions with doctors, parents Samantha, 41, and Christopher, 33, decided to go ahead with their special day. Harry proudly wore his suit, alongside his older brother Oscar, as he watched his parents exchange vows in April 2023.

Samantha said: “Harry attended the ceremony and then spent most of the day in our hotel room with family as we didn’t want him being exposed to any infections.

“He had a great time and was dancing with an inflatable guitar and ate lots of nice food. It’s not how we imagined our wedding day to be, but it was still very special and incredibly emotional.” 

Now aged six, the Monster truck and Minecraft-obsessed Harry was chosen to launch the ‘Give up Clothes for Good‘ awareness campaign.

The campaign from retailer TK Maxx, backed by Cancer Research UK, encourages people to donate clothes to help more children and young people survive cancer. It has raised £45m over the last 20 years.

“So incredibly proud”

After his diagnosis, Harry went through six months of intense chemotherapy at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital in Cardiff.

He now takes six chemotherapy tablets a day, and is due to ring the bell to mark the end of treatment in June 2026.

Samantha said: “Harry is doing remarkably well and has just started Year 2 at primary school. We are so incredibly proud of him.” 

Harry’s family has been blown away by his positive attitude throughout his treatment.  

“He has never once not smiled or given a thumbs up throughout all his chemotherapy,” said Samantha.

“Harry has made his cancer journey look like a walk in the park, when inside his little body is fighting a horrible cancer.

“He has not once let this get the better of him and his attitude and strength has made me, his dad and older brother so proud of him. Harry is our little star.” 

Diagnosis

Before his diagnosis, Samantha took Harry to the GP after noticing unusual rashes and bruises on his body.  

She said: “At the beginning of last year, Harry had two chest infections, one after the other, and he complained of leg pain.

“He then came out in a purple rash on his arm which spread to other areas of his body – we thought it was down to him playing football on AstroTurf in the garden.  

“He then had an excessive amount of bruising on random areas of his body. We rang 111 for advice and because Harry was well with no temperature, we opted to take Harry to our GP, who then referred us to the Grange Hospital for a paediatric assessment.” 

Harry was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), the most common type of leukaemia in children.

“We were in shock and heartbroken when we found out,” said Samantha. “It has been such a tough time for our family, but we are pleased his leukaemia cells are currently undetectable.

“He is getting stronger every day and we are looking forward to him ringing the bell in 2026.” 

Harry and his family are urging people to donate unwanted clothes and homeware as part of the Cancer Research campaign.

Samantha said: “We want to help families like ours have more moments too, so Harry and I will be having a good clear out at home to find clothes and things to donate.

“We hope our experience will inspire others across Wales to do the same. Their unwanted items really could save lives.” 

Ruth Amies, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson for Wales, thanked the Daniels family for “helping to shine a light” on the challenges faced by children like Harry.

She continued: “Cancer is different in children and young people, from the types of cancer that affect this age group to the long-term effects of treatment, such as hearing loss and infertility. So, it needs different and dedicated research which campaigns like Give Up Clothes for Good help to fund.”

Visit Cancer Research UK’s website for more information.