Football mad boy forced to ‘make Sheffield Children’s Hospital his home’ dies, aged 7

A ‘kind-hearted’ seven-year-old boy who had battled leukemia for most of his life died at Sheffield Children’s Hospital last year following complications related to life-saving surgery.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

An inquest today (August 14) at Sheffield Medico-Legal Centre heard that Alfie Gregory, from Alfreton, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia when he was 14-months-old.

He was treated in Nottingham before moving to Sheffield Children’s Hospital in 2016 to undergo a bone marrow transplant, for which his mother Chelsey was the donor.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

After showing signs of improvement, Alfie’s leukemia relapsed three years later and he was sadly back in hospital in 2019.

Alfie in Sheffield Children's Hospital where he was visited by Sheffield Wednesday manager Gary Monk and players Jacob Murphy and Dom IorfaAlfie in Sheffield Children's Hospital where he was visited by Sheffield Wednesday manager Gary Monk and players Jacob Murphy and Dom Iorfa
Alfie in Sheffield Children's Hospital where he was visited by Sheffield Wednesday manager Gary Monk and players Jacob Murphy and Dom Iorfa

This time he was suffering from a different kind of leukemia which was related to his original disease.

Dr Katherine Patrick, a consultant paediatric haematologist at Sheffield Children’s, was giving evidence at the inquest.

She told Assistant coroner Katy Dickinson that it is very difficult to cure leukemia if it has relapsed after a bone marrow transplant.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dr Patrick said that because Alfie’s leukemia had repalsed a ‘relatively long time’ after his initial transplant, and because he was responding well to chemotherapy, it was deemed the right decision by a panel of experts to give Alfie another bone marrow transplant.

Alfie in Sheffield Children's Hospital where he was visited by Sheffield Wednesday players.Alfie in Sheffield Children's Hospital where he was visited by Sheffield Wednesday players.
Alfie in Sheffield Children's Hospital where he was visited by Sheffield Wednesday players.

She explained that “a second bone marrow transplant carries a higher risk of toxicity and death from treatment” however “if we had not done it there would have been no long-term chance of Alfie surviving.”

Alfie underwent the second transplant in September of 2019 when he was six-years-old.

Following the operation he suffered a number of complications related to his lungs, which meant he required oxygen.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Although he was able to spend Christmas of 2019 at home with his family, he had to return to hospital in January when the problems in his lungs persisted and his lung capacity decreased, leaving him requiring more oxygen.

Alfie GregoryAlfie Gregory
Alfie Gregory

Alfie was diagnosed with surgical emphysema, which meant air was leaking from his lungs and into the surrounding tissues.

Dr Patrick told the coroner that his lungs were ‘irreparably damaged’ and that “there was no further treatment that we could give to Alfie that had a meaningful chance of making him better.”

An agreement was reached with Alfie’s family not to treat him any further so as to minimise his discomfort and distress in hospital.

Alfie sadly died aged seven on March 11 this year.

Alfie GregoryAlfie Gregory
Alfie Gregory
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His mother Chelsey Gregory, who attended the inquest with a number of supportive family members, said: “Alfie fought with courage and never failed to smile and make everyone laugh. He always made sure everyone else came before him and everyone was happy, he was such a kind-hearted boy.

“He was poorly for most of his life, but he was used to it. For him it was normal.

"Sheffield Children’s Hospital was his home and the doctors and nurses were like his family.

"He was very bossy and if he ever had a different doctor who did something differently to Dr Patrick he wasn’t happy."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

During his illness Alfie, an avid football fan, was visited in the hospital by players from Sheffield Wednesday.

When he died a spokesperson from the club wrote: “We're so sorry to hear this news Chelsey and the thoughts of everyone at the club are with you and Alfie's family and friends.”

Sheffield Coroner's Court, where the inquest was held Sheffield Coroner's Court, where the inquest was held
Sheffield Coroner's Court, where the inquest was held

Assistant coroner Katy Dickinson concluded that Alfie Gregory died from diffuse alviola damage, which he suffered as a result of complications related to his treatment for leukemia.

Ms Dickinson said to Alfie’s parents Tom and Chelsey: "My heart goes out to you. I am really sorry.”