Overview
- Frank Cleal, 13, from Hereford, died of osteosarcoma after his only early sign was a slight limp that began in April 2019.
- GPs first diagnosed a hamstring strain in May 2019 before X-ray and MRI in June revealed a tumour in his right femur.
- He received months of chemotherapy and leg reconstruction with a metal prosthesis, later relapsing in the lungs and being deemed terminal in February 2021.
- The family’s Be More Frank fund, set up under the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust, has raised over £300,000 to support families across Herefordshire, Powys, Monmouthshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Ceredigion.
- Emma Cleal urges parents to trust their instincts and seek medical advice for unexplained limps, stressing that childhood cancers can present with minimal symptoms.