Ryan Reynolds: Actor's tribute to seven year old cancer victim

Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds has paid tribute to a boy who died from a brain tumour and lent his support to a fundraising walk for cancer research.

Dozens of people took part in the event on Friday to honour seven-year-old Aaron Wharton who died on 9 April.

The group raised over £16,000 for Brain Tumour Research which Aaron's mum said is an "incredible legacy" for Aaron.

The actor said there "was absolutely no reason why somebody like Aaron should not be with us here today".

In a message to Aaron's family and those on the firewalk he said: "Thank you for being here to honour Aaron's memory, for all that you've done and all that you're doing to fund Brain Tumour Research.

"There's absolutely no reason why somebody like Aaron should not be with us here today, so the work you're doing is incredibly important and hugely impactful to so many people.

"I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Aaron from Buckley, Flintshire was diagnosed when he was four years old with a rare and aggressive ependymoma in 2020.

During his three-year battle, Aaron had surgery and gruelling radiotherapy treatment. In September 2022, the family found out the cancer had spread.

His parents now want more awareness and funding for brain tumour research.

Brain Tumour Research said this form of cancer kills more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, but only 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002.

Nicola Wharton, Aaron's mum said "there were no words" to describe how they felt when they were told about the news.

Aaron was immediately transferred from the Countess of Chester hospital to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, under the care of the specialist surgical neurological team.

Aaron was found to have a rare mutated chromosome "which in itself is deadly" said Nicola.

"There's no targeted treatments for that particular mutation, so everything was kind of against him, even though we tried every treatment option that was available to us," she added.

Aaron passed away at the start of April, and dad Lee said "every day has been rubbish" since.

Nicola said: "Trying to adjust to him not being here is very strange.

"It doesn't feel like home, it's missing a massive piece that was Aaron."

He was "so cheeky" and "infectious", said Nicola. "Everybody fell in love with him instantaneously."

Lee said: "It's just mind-blowing why something would go wrong with Aaron's DNA at his age.

"I'm 52 now. I've drunk, I've smoked, and [the consultant] said the things you do in life... can all have a profound change on your DNA.

"It's like holding a loaded gun into your head, one day that trigger will go off due to what you're doing," he said.

"But a seven-year-old child?

"I try and wrack my brain every day asking the same question, why has it gone wrong? But I get no answers.

"Hopefully, one day Brain Tumour Research can come up with an answer and try and save as many kids as they can in the future."

Nicola said many people have the "perception brain tumours are rare, but they're just not".

The couple said they have met five other children within a 20-mile (about 32km) radius of their home all of whom have been diagnosed with a brain tumour.

"Out of those five, three of those children have now passed, Aaron being one of them," Nicola said.

The firewalk took place at The Racecourse Ground, where Aaron was a mascot, in aid of the charity.

Nicola said: "I was shaking when I heard Ryan say Aaron's name, I was in disbelief. The fact that Ryan echoes and agrees with everything we have set out to do since Aaron's diagnosis is incredible."

The event saw participants walking barefoot over burning embers of temperatures reaching more than 800C.

Nicola added: "The adrenaline kept us going and although it was extremely hot, it was a fun event. Knowing we were doing this in Aaron's name, felt like he was right beside us walking hand in hand."

Wrexham AFC captain Luke Young, who Aaron was a mascot for in November 2022, returned from Las Vegas to support the event. He was joined by the mayor of Buckley, councillor Julia Jones.

Nicola said it was "phenomenal" to have raised so much money for the research charity.

"That is nearly six days of funded research at one of their centres of excellence," she said.

Both mum and dad hoped the six days of dedicated research may go towards a "breakthrough".

Community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, Mel Tiley, said: "Brain tumours are devastating, and we should not be losing so many people to this disease, particularly children like Aaron with their whole lives ahead of them."