Dying 8 year old “marries” his sweetheart before death
Friday, July 25th, 2008Reece Fleming was given only weeks to live. He proposed to his ’special friend’ Elleanor Purgslove at the most romantic of places: laser tag.
Reece was 8 years old. He had been “seeing” his special friend Ellie for a few years but then they broke up. But one day at a laser tag party, he asked her to marry him and she accepted.
Their parents arranged a make-believe wedding at Reece’s home in Mackworth, Derby. He died the next day with his family.
Reece’s mother Lorraine Fleming said he told her, “I can go now” after his wish had been granted.
The 28-year-old said: “”He was so proud of her, and we were proud of them both.”
Reece was diagnosed with leukaemia in July 2004, when he was aged just four.
He fought the disease for four years until May when doctors told him he had just weeks to live.
Ms Fleming, said she and his stepfather Mick Thompson had tried to help him achieve as much as possible before his death, including marrying his sweetheart.