Harry Buckland died at age five after a 14-month-long battle with cancer. Photo: Supplied/Amanda Thorson.
A lover of Super Mario who completed several games from start to finish. A Spiderman fan who was meticulous, intelligent and compassionate. A mathematically inclined five-year-old who could have grown up to be an engineer.
A Canberran who had the world at his feet.
Harry Buckland lost his battle with high-risk neuroblastoma – a type of cancer that starts in the nerve cells – on 16 February.
He was four when, one morning, he dropped to the ground in pain.
His parents gave him some Panadol and scheduled a doctor’s appointment, but gut instinct saw them head to Canberra Hospital’s emergency department.
“Coincidentally, we had friends who were there with their son who had very similar symptoms, and they were like, ‘oh, we just got told it was post-viral inflammation’, and so we thought, ‘we’ll get kicked out of here soon, they’ll probably say the same for us’,” Harry’s mother, Rebecca Buckland said.
“They did an ultrasound, and that’s when they found a really big tumour on his right kidney. Then it was just straight to Sydney.”
Harry spent much of his cancer battle in Sydney’s Royal Children’s Hospital. Photo: Supplied.
It was discovered Harry had stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma that had metastasised and spread to the lining of his lungs.
So began his treatment, which included several transfusions of various blood products.
“Before he’d even started chemotherapy, we were signing waivers and documents to say that we agreed for him to receive blood,” Rebecca said.
“It was not a case of ‘if he needs blood’ but ‘when he needs blood’, to have that permission ready to go.”
As Harry settled into his new home in the Royal Children’s Hospital pediatric ward, Rebecca noticed that the sick children were continually requiring transfusions of various blood products.
“At the time we thought it would just be red blood, and then we realised – as Harry’s treatment progressed – that there were all these other blood products that existed,” Rebecca said.
“I actually lost count of how many times he received blood products.”
These included albumin (a protein found in plasma) to prevent blood vessel leakage and help deliver fluids to the correct places in the body, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) to boost his immune system, and other blood products to help with his recovery after two bone marrow transplants.
Harry received several blood products during his cancer treatment, including at least one per chemotherapy cycle. Harry underwent chemotherapy eight times. Photo: Supplied.
Harry completed two rounds of immunotherapy when it was discovered he had relapsed.
This meant the cancer had returned.
“[There were] a few lesions in the lining of his right lung … he was due to start a chemo-immunotherapy [treatment] on the Monday, and on the Friday they did another scan,” Rebecca said.
“That scan showed it was everywhere. It had progressed to his spine – it was throughout every vertebrae save about five – and it was back through the lymph nodes in his abdomen, [the one’s] that hadn’t already been removed during the first surgery, it was back on his right kidney … in basically a 3 to 5 cm sheet in the lining of his right lung, and it had begun to progress in his left lung.
“Then, we sort of knew that it was unlikely that he would survive that, even with treatment, and we chose to request that we stop treatment and bring him home, which is what we did.”
Harry only managed to come home to Canberra three times during his 14-month treatment, including for Christmas in 2025.
When he came home at the start of February 2026, he survived another 10 days, spending them with his family and friends.
He died on 16 February.
Looking back on her beautiful boy’s treatment, Rebecca was struck by all the times a stranger had given them more time.
“Every single time Harry received blood or albumin or intravenous immunoglobulin, we would be going ‘who is the person … that sacrificed that time and has allowed my son to survive and live on for another day?'” she said.
“He shouldn’t have suffered, but we’re also so grateful, because if it wasn’t for those blood products and that cancer treatment that he did receive, we wouldn’t have had 14 [extra] months with him.
“Without those blood products, he wouldn’t have had that extra time.”
Rebecca Buckland with her son, Harry (5), shortly after he relapsed. Photo: Amanda Thorson.
One of Rebecca’s friends previously started a Lifeblood group called Harry B’s Heroes to encourage more people to donate blood and plasma products.
It’s become a source of hope and determination for Rebecca as she grieves for her son.
“We got 14 months of extra time with him … part of that goes down to those people who donated blood, because without that his blood counts wouldn’t have recovered and he wouldn’t have survived the treatment that he had to go through,” she said.
“For us it’s [now] about advocating so that his friends, who are still going through treatment in Sydney and all around Australia, have access to those crucial products, and they get that extra time, and potentially that leads them to a cure and to a really long, amazing life.”
She particularly wants to see younger people, especially men, sign up for the team as women aren’t able to donate platelets in Australia, which are vital for blood clotting.
Harry (5, far right) was able to spend time at home in Canberra with his siblings, Emily (8) and Louis (3), as well as his parents Tom and Rebecca before his death. Photo: Amanda Thorson.
Rebecca is encouraging everyone who has ever considered donating to sign up for Harry B’s Heroes.
“Harry won’t be forgotten; he has a legacy that not many five-year-olds can say they’ll leave,” she said.
“He’s left a mark on this world and on our community, and while the world will continue and life continues, that legacy will continue as well, so he won’t be forgotten.
“I think that’s probably my greatest fear, and having something like Harry B’s Heroes … means that other kids benefit and his death isn’t in vain.
“His story gets to continue even though his life doesn’t.”
You can join Harry B’s Heroes here. Unsure if you can donate blood, plasma or platelets? Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has an eligibility quiz.
Original Article published by Claire Fenwicke on Region Canberra.
