Maxton’s parents noticed he was walking with a limp, which turned out to be the first warning sign
Maxton Bowman had barely started walking when his mum spotted he was moving with “a bit of a limp”. His parents had no clue at that moment that this was an early sign of a rare and vicious cancer.
Just weeks after spotting the problem, the two year old lost all use of his legs. Maxton was rushed to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle with a worrying blood rash in September 2025 and had tests carried out, which went on to confirm the worst.
When the results arrived, parents Coralle, 37, and Mark, 49, discovered their son had lymphoblastic leukaemia – a rare and aggressive, rapidly developing blood cancer. Maxton has put up with months of intensive treatment and is awaiting his next round of chemotherapy.
Coralle, a home-schooling teacher from Shildon in County Durham, said: “There was no emotion, I went straight into mummy mode, straight into protection mode. I told the doctor ‘you’ve got no choice, you’ve got to save him’.
“It’s a little bit worrying, but as a family we just try to keep as positive as possible. When I think, that’s when I shut down. If I go down, my family goes down, and I can’t have that.”
Maxton, who is autistic and non-verbal, had already faced difficulties from the moment he arrived in this world. He was born not breathing and spent his first days in hospital before being discharged home after seven days, reports Chronicle Live.
Despite facing complex challenges, including developmental delays and a sensory disorder, Coralle describes him as a “very happy little boy”. She said: “He lives in his own little world, but he was easy to look after and always is smiling.”
Shortly before turning two, Maxton achieved a significant breakthrough – taking his first steps. However, soon afterwards, she spotted his left foot beginning to rotate outwards, followed by a limp.
His health declined rapidly over the following weeks. “He lost the use of one leg, and then both of his legs. It happened so quickly,” she said.
The crisis escalated when a rash appeared and his demeanour shifted. Blood work conducted in September 2025 revealed his platelet levels, a vital blood component, had plummeted to critically low numbers.
Coralle said: “You could tell he was in pain. He only had four platelets. I didn’t know what that meant, but I knew it was bad.”
The following morning, Maxton was blue-lighted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. Following further blood tests, doctors confirmed the diagnosis within hours, with treatment commencing almost immediately.
He has since gone through months of intensive medical intervention, including multiple operations, blood transfusions and chemotherapy. At one point, the treatment caused him to lose mobility in his legs once more.
Steroid medication led to severe swelling throughout his body, while a serious infection kept him hospitalised for 18 days on antibiotics. Through it all, Maxton’s resilient nature has remained unchanged. She said: “He always has a smile on his face. Even on the worst days, when he smiles, it takes everything away.”
He’s now back on his feet and running about once more. Due to his condition and autism, Maxton has a limited understanding of danger and needs constant supervision, with his parents currently alternating night shifts to ensure his safety.
The specialist bed they hope to purchase would provide a safe, cushioned environment where he can rest without fear of harm. The family are organising a fundraising bike ride on August 29 and 30, which is expected to end at their home, where they plan to host a community celebration marking the achievement. See the link for further information.
Coralle said: “He shows us every day how strong he is. Even without words. We don’t want people to feel sorry for him. We want people to see his strength.”
