A YORK mother has told of the ‘overwhelming outpouring of love’ she has received, following the death of her ‘kind and thoughtful’ son.

Five-year-old Milo Hughes, of Dunnington, has died from a brain tumour, as did his brother Oscar in 2014 and his father Ian last year.

His mother Marie said that she and Milo’s brothers Seb and Lucas were with their ‘beautiful happy Milo’ when he died, ‘surrounding him with love, stories and even a little laughter.’

She said: “We are sad and yet all our wonderful memories we have are worth the pain we now feel.

“The outpouring of love from our family and friends has been overwhelming.

“Everyone has talked about how kind and thoughtful Milo was and what a joy he was to be around.

“We’ve loved hearing stories from his reception class friends about how he always thought of others and how full of fun he was.”

She said Milo’s funeral would take place at York Crematorium tomorrow but, due to Covid restrictions, not many people would be allowed to attend and it would be for family and close friends only.

She wanted family flowers only and donations instead to Martin House, the children’s hospice at Boston Spa.

Marie told The Press last September how Milo had been diagnosed as suffering from multiple brain tumours just weeks after her husband Ian’s funeral, following his death in the January from glioblastoma.

The couple’s son Oscar died in 2014, aged nine, after lengthy treatment for medulloblastoma.

Ian helped Marie cope with his long illness and death and then helped her set up a charity in Oscar’s name to help other children suffering from such cancers.

OSCAR’s (Ongoing, Support, Care And Research into) Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity aims to fund critical research into paediatric brain tumours in the hope of finding a cure and less devastating treatments, and it works closely with other charities.

It has co-funded a world-leading brain tumour Tissue Bank in Leeds providing state-of-the-art resources to collect, examine and conserve fresh tissue samples, which means researchers in Yorkshire will be better resourced to continue their world-renowned work.

To donate to the charity, go to www.oscarspbtc.org/donate/

Marie told last September how Milo looked, apart from loss of hair, like a healthy active boy but he had multiple brain tumours that had caused such pressure in his head that he had some extensive permanent loss of vision and full loss of hearing in one ear.

She said Milo had turned to her one night and said: “I don’t want to die mum,” but she could promise nothing.

“And then we have the beautiful moments when every night we tell each other how much we love each other and I mean who can argue that being loved all the way to Scotland and back can be beaten by anything?” she said.

“Or when he holds my head in his little hands and tells me I am the softest mum in the world and he wants to kiss me forever. I tell him he is the bravest boy I know but that doesn’t cut it because really he is the bravest person I know.”

Meanwhile, an appeal to send Marie and Milo's brothers Seb and Lucas on holiday to America has raised more than £11,000 in less than 24 hours.