The mother knew her little boy had something more sinister than a virus after spotting a new symptom

When Jozef Burch suddenly fell ill, doctors initially assured his worried family that he probably had a virus.

The young man was struggling with fatigue, illness and a high temperature, prompting his mother, Marta, to arrange a visit to the family doctor. The doctor diagnosed Jozef with a viral illness, promising the family that he would recover in time.

However, after a brief improvement, Jozef’s condition worsened when he started vomiting at school. Over the next two weeks, the Wigan family made numerous trips to their local GP, where they were repeatedly told that Jozef was battling a viral illness.

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But one night when eight-year-old Jozef started shaking uncontrollably, Marta decided to rush him to A&E after calling 111.

She said: “He was shaking really bad. I called 111 and they told me to go to the center. The doctor sent us straight to A&E.”

At the hospital, Jozef underwent blood tests and was told that he probably had a chest infection. He was given antibiotics and sent home, MEN reports

His condition temporarily improved before worsening again, forcing the family to return to the hospital. “It was like a rollercoaster,” said Marta, a holistic trainer. “It got a little better and crashed again.”

“We went back to the hospital and did more blood and they started scratching their heads.”

With no clear diagnosis for Jozef’s illness, the young man was kept in hospital while doctors scrambled to find the cause of his symptoms.

Marta said: “They told us to stay in because they wanted to see what was going on. They were thinking of sending him home as he started to do better but we asked them to keep him in, knowing it will crash again”.

After being transferred to Manchester Children’s Hospital, Jozef faced a battery of tests. On March 4, a bone marrow biopsy yielded devastating results: Jozef was battling leukemia.

“I never thought it would be this,” Marta said. “I really thought he had a virus.

“To be honest, you hear about these things on the news and from friends, but if you hear about one of your kids yourself, it’s just like, now what? where are we going What are we doing? How did it happen? Did we do something, did he do something?”

Jozef has since started a chemotherapy regimen, already completing two cycles. A bone marrow transplant is on the horizon, with Grace’s sister as the donor.

To support the family during this difficult time, a fundraising page has been set up. The page details: “As you may know, Jozef has been hospitalized for many weeks and has been diagnosed with AML. He completed the first round of chemotherapy, but will remain hospitalized for the foreseeable future.”

“His mother, Marta, was at his bedside every day and was his rock, but that meant she couldn’t work.”

“During such a difficult and emotional time, no parent wants to have the financial burden and worry when all they want to do is take care of their child and be there for them. Jozef was so brave and strong through it all and yet he still manages to keep his cheeky smile and incredibly funny sense of humor. He needs his mom by his side to keep smiling.”

“Jozef, Marta and family appreciate everyone’s well wishes and messages and will really appreciate every penny raised.”

To donate, access the link by clicking here.