A FAMILY have told of their relief as their six-year-old was finally able to 'ring the bell' at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital to end a 11-month battle with cancer.

Harrison Aspden and his parents Natasha Parsons and Marcus Aspden were joined by his favourite nurses and doctors on November 19 for the milestone occasion which happens when a patient gets the all-clear.

The St Cuthbert's Primary School pupil was diagnosed with B-Cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma with tumours in his spleen, kidneys and liver after he fell ill last Christmas and was struggling to eat and drink.

Mum Natasha said: “When he rang the bell we shed a lot of tears but tears of happiness.

“It was so emotional being able to ring the bell but the biggest emotion was pride at how he had come through the treatment.

“Harrison said 'I want to cry but it is a happy cry that it is over'. The bell means so much to those kids.

“It is a sign of celebration that gives hope to others in the units.”

It had been a rollercoaster ride for the family since January 2 when was Harrison diagnosed from blood tests. It was found that his kidneys were shutting down and he would have to have chemotherapy and an operation.

She said: “It was the worst pain in the world when we were told, we felt numb and I would have swapped with him in a heartbeat. He is the strongest person I know.”

Harrison had side effects from the chemo and had to stay in hospital until May 23 when he was allowed to return home.

He has also enjoyed getting back to school too.

The 28-year-old mum said: “He has built his strength up and went back to school in September. His school have been great and staggered days for him to get him back in.

“They have been great raising money for him when he was in hospital.

“It is nice to get a bit of normality back in our lives.”

When Harrison was ill, Natasha gave up her job as a hairdresser but their family rallied around them with a Facebook fundraising page called Harrison's Journey.

Natasha’s sister set up a Gofundme page to help the family with bills so they could care for Harrison.

Now, Natasha wants to thank the community and charities for helping them.

She said: “We have had so much support from people who we did not even know. Some of them may have been struggling with their wages during Covid but they still donated.

“We want to say thanks to the charities and good causes who gave us stuff.

“Milleys Smiles, Ronald McDonald Trust, Supershoes, Theo’s Army, 52 Lives and Dial-a-ride.”