Parents of boy, 5, who died from brain tumour back our Christmas appeal charity

16 December 2023 , 17:05

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Phil Gidman and Nicola Smith with their son Nate

Every shimmer of tinsel and twinkling fairy light brings tears of both joy and sadness for Phil Gidman and Nicola Smith.

For Christmas was the time of year their little boy Nate loved the most – even more than his birthday. They lost their son in February last year to a brain tumour, aged five.

But they managed to make the most of their last Christmas together, after vowing to make Nate’s remaining time the best it could be. Phil, 38, says: “He always loved Christmas, singing and drawing pictures of Christmas trees. I did ask which he preferred, Christmas or his birthday. He’d always say Christmas.”

Nate Gidman was always a cheeky tot (Phil Gidman)

Nate was diagnosed with a stage four brain tumour in 2020, aged three. After a nine-hour operation at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre he had 17 months of chemotherapy at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, both 40 or more miles from their home in Lincoln.

Phil and Nicola heard in November 2021 he had only months to live. Pharmacy storekeeper Phil says: “I don’t know how to describe what it’s like receiving that kind of news. I felt like, at that moment, my heart could stop.”

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

They enjoyed a trip to Legoland in Windsor and Thomas Land in Birmingham. Tranmere Rovers FC arranged for Phil and Nate to walk the team out on 18 December. And they celebrated Nate’s favourite time of year. “We got through Christmas and it was amazing,” says Phil.

You can now donate to our Christmas appeal

Sadly, on February 1 last year, they were told Nate was close to the end – and he died on February 7. As they now approach a second Christmas without him, Phil and Nicola, a nurse, want to thank Young Lives vs Cancer – our Christmas appeal charity – for helping them with transport costs and accommodation.

They stayed at “home from home” Billy’s House, near the QMC. Phil says: “One weekend I took Nate out over the bridge and he was pointing at the ducks in the river. That walk helped kind of normalise what we were going through. Being in a position where we could go for walks was so helpful, thanks to Billy’s House. We’ll never be able to thank them enough.”

Florence Freeman