Heartbreak as Dudley schoolboy dies from pneumonia days after developing cough

Callan Fendall-Betts began coughing on Boxing Day. His condition deteriorated over the following days before he tragically died on New Year's Eve.

The schoolboy had a lung condition but his devastated family said it was not something that stopped him leading a normal life or was expected to be life limiting.

His mother Tracey Betts and father Mark Fendall, of Lower Gornal, went from enjoying a normal Christmas with their two sons to having to make the heart-wrenching decision to tell doctors to stop providing Callan with oxygen on New Year's Eve.

Miss Betts, aged 50, said: "He had a bit of a dry cough on Boxing Night. He said he didn't want anything to eat.

"At that point we weren't concerned. He'd had tickly coughs and they had cleaned up well. He was still laughing and chatting."

Callan was taken to see the doctor the next day and although he was quite poorly, he was well enough to be allowed home. But his condition deteriorated further and his parents began to worry there might be something seriously wrong.

Mr Fendall said: "His breathing altered dramatically, he was really struggling to breathe. I said to him, 'give us a photo, put your thumbs up' but he didn't even have the strength to put his thumbs up."

An ambulance was called and though there was real concern for Callan, it didn't cross his parents' mind that it might be the last time he left his home.

Miss Betts said: "We were thinking he might be in for a few days." Mr Fendall said: "There was a point when Callan said 'dad, stop worrying'.

X-rays showed Callan had a major infection in his lungs and his parents were told he had pneumonia.

His oxygen levels dropped dramatically during his final hours to the point doctors were having to pump oxygen into him. Miss Betts and Mr Fendall were left with a devastating choice.

Mr Fendall said: "The nurse was giving him oxygen and I said 'you have just got to stop'. It wouldn't have been fair to Callan, he wasn't going to come back from it. He would have been excruciating pain and he would have known he was going to die. He didn't know he was going to die."

Tributes to the Ellowes Hall Sports College pupil, who was said to be popular and a talented pianist, have poured in from friends and classmates.

The school, where Callan's 14-year-old brother Jay is in Year 9, held a special assembly on Tuesday, the first day of the new term. Teachers and pupils were given blue ribbons while the children were also allowed to wear something blue.