Pride of leukaemia boy's mother

Keiton had been suffering from leukaemia since 2003

The mother of a young boy from Sussex who died from leukaemia following a search for a rare bone marrow transplant has paid tribute to him.

Keiton Knight, eight, passed away with his mother and grandmother by his side after battling the disease since 2003.

Paris Knight, of Hove, East Sussex, told BBC South East Today she had mourned her son for four years.

She said: "I've had a long time to prepare. I've cried a hundred heart-wrenching cries."

Keiton was of mixed race, so finding a suitable donor had proved difficult despite a high profile campaign led by his family last year.

"So proud"

Ms Knight said: "I just started talking to him and telling him just to let go, just to go and be in peace.

"The breath just came out of him and he was gone."

She added: "I am so happy to have had him in my life. He's done so much for me. I'm so proud to be his mum. I needed him far more than he needed me.

"I want to give him a really righteous send off and tell him thank you for being with me."

During his short life, Keiton had to endure bouts of chemotherapy, and was also paralysed from the waist down at one point.

Stem cell treatment

As well as looking for potential mixed race donors at Notting Hill Carnival, relatives also arranged other searches, which included enlisting the support of pop stars and footballers.

Last October his family launched a campaign to raise £500,000 for stem cell treatment.

It was thought Keiton had overcome acute lymphoblastic leukaemia after being diagnosed in June 2003.

But during the last month of his treatment it emerged that his leukaemia had transformed into a different type of blood cancer in a process doctors had seen only once or twice before.