The family celebrated what would have been the sons’ 10th anniversary under Dippy

THE FAMILY of a dinosaur-mad boy who died tragically celebrated what would have been his tenth birthday with a dinner under Dippy Diplodocus in Coventry.

Ewan Knox, from Carlisle, was born in 2014 with Hallermann-Streiff syndrome – a rare condition that affects around 150 people worldwide, meaning his lungs did not develop properly.

Mum Vicky said: “His life has been a whirlwind from the start.

“He was rushed to Great North Children’s Hospital almost as soon as he was born as his airway collapsed.”

Sadly, his condition meant that Ewan died just before his second birthday.

Dad Mike said: “One of the things we did going forward was buy a VW Campervan and the first thing we did was get a big Dippy badge on the sides and it became known as the “Dippy Bus”.

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“Everybody would recognize him and notice him while I was driving.”

Ewan’s family have been following Dippy’s tour, marking special occasions or bringing the family together – they’ve also raised money for Crawford House at Great Northern Children’s Hospital.

Mike said: “Crawford House was a lifesaver when Ewan was stupid, I don’t know how we would have got on without it.

“But they survive on donations alone, so after Ewan passed it helped focus us, working hard to raise money for them so that other families could have the same support that we had. “

To mark Ewan’s tenth birthday, the family marked it by having a meal with their family under Dippy at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry.

Lisa Ford, head of learning and engagement, said: “Ewan’s story really touched the hearts of colleagues at CV Life and we wanted to ensure they had an experience to honor his memory and the birthday could go ahead.

“No family should have to experience the loss of a child and it was incredible to see the strength they had as they moved forward and channeled their time and efforts into creating positive memories and helping others.

“Museums can truly be magical places that create lifelong memories for our visitors, and it’s an honor to have been able to play a small part in creating one of those memories for Vicky, Mike and their family.”