Skye Sutcliffe: Show support for late Leeds leukaemia battler

Skye Sutcliffe pictured last year. Picture by Tony Johnson.

Two-year-old Skye Sutcliffe, from Middleton, inspired many through her brave battle with two forms of blood cancer before she tragically passed away in early December.

Just weeks after the youngster was laid to rest, Skye’s family has rallied to set up the second ‘Running for Skye’ 5km run, in Middleton Park, in aid of the Delete Blood Cancer UK and Candlelighters charities.

South Leeds showed its support for Skye’s parents, Amie Mills and Damion Sutcliffe, through a ‘Light Up the Skye’ lantern release after her death.

Hundreds also attended her funeral, in which guests wore items relating to Disney film Frozen and Skye was taken to St Cross Church in a white horse-drawn carriage.

Amelia Sockett, Amie’s mum and Skye’s nana, said: “It’s difficult and sadly there are a lot of families who go through it, which is one of the reasons why we want to keep on raising funds and keeping her spirit alive. She was so jolly even in times of adversity. I couldn’t curl up into a ball knowing she kept that smile on her face all that time – and that is what keeps us going.”

Skye was initially diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic and myeloid leukaemia when she was 20 weeks old. It was hoped that she would overcome her rare double diagnosis in August 2014, when her brother Harvey donated bone marrow to her but within months few donor cells remained and her illness was deemed terminal.

Despite the prognosis, doctors found that she had made a miraculous recovery in June as she went into ‘spontaneous remission’ but she later had an “extremely aggressive” relapse.