Brave Sam loses fight for life

A teenager who touched the hearts of the public in his fight against cancer has died.

In line with Sam White’s wishes, the brain tumour he was suffering from has been removed following his death, and will be used to help a poorly-funded area of medical science better understand tumours and how to beat them.

Sam, 16, of Milner Street, Newark, lived up to his promise that the cancer wouldn’t take his life, but died on Tuesday from an infection.

Sam, who was known for his beaming smile, did everything he could to push for funding for research, speaking on television and to the Belgian Parliament.

He had travelled regularly to Belgium where he had embraced the chance of pioneering treatment.

His mother, Mrs Pam White, said yesterday: “Sam always said that the tumour wasn’t going to get him and it didn’t, it was an infection.

“He had been poorly for several months and his immune system was not enough to get rid of it.

“Everyone who ever met Sam took a little bit of him away with them.

“He would never let cancer rule his life. He wanted people to see him and not the cancer.

“He was a very special boy.

“He went in a controlled and dignified way with 18 of us at his bedside.”

Sam died in the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham.

His father, Mr Mike White, said: “He couldn’t sustain the chemical treatment.

“He had no white cells and couldn’t beat off infection.

“The medical staff on the ward said he fought the hardest and longest of anyone they had seen.

“Sam touched so many people’s lives with that smile.

“He has been inspirational and instrumental in bringing brain tumour awareness to the fore, travelling around Europe at the request of people.

“Sam had such a short life –– 16 is nothing –– but in the 3½ years since the tumour he probably crammed more into his life than many people would cram into a lifetime.

“He hated the label of cancer but realised the tremendous opportunity that it gave him.

“It also gave him courage and confidence that he didn’t have before.

“His dark days were confined to himself and the two of us.

“He sat and cried one day and said, ‘Why me, why cancer?’ but at that moment he decided he would take part in whatever research was available as he didn’t want it to happen to any other child.

“He realised he had a choice either to sit here and let the cancer kill him quickly or live life to the full.

“He chose life and to throw himself into conventional treatment or trials. Pam and I would sometimes have our moments but we would look at each other and say that if Sam could do it, so could we. He taught us so much.”

Before he died Sam’s parents told him he had passed his latest GCSE examination in woodwork, in which he made a cabinet for his sporting medals.

Due to his lengthy absences from school, Sam took his GCSEs in stages and had already passed others, including PE, which he loved.

Sam underwent pioneering Dendritic Cell Therapy in Belgium, which involved taking tissue from his body to form a vaccine that was then injected into his arms.

The treatment had stopped the tumour growing.

Many people helped organise events to raise money for Sam’s treatment.

Sam’s biggest day came when when he ran into Newark Market Place, carrying the London 2012 Olympic torch.

Sam said at the time: “It is an experience I will always remember.”

In 2010 he was named an Advertiser Child of Courage.

A year later, Sam won the young person award at Newark’s Night of Champions.

Among his many other achievements was his return to school, completing the Duke of Edinburgh bronze award and sailing with round-the-world yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur.