Harry Shaw: Five-year-old who inspired Lewis Hamilton to F1 win dies after cancer battle
The driver was alerted to Harry's plight by a video message, prompting his team to send the聽trophy and a racing car to his home.
Tuesday 4 June 2019 10:31, UK
A five-year-old boy whose battle with cancer inspired Lewis Hamilton to a Grand Prix win has died, his family has said.
Harry Shaw, who "fought to the very end", passed away on Saturday as a charity fundraising page saw donations climb to more than £230,000.
"His pain and suffering is over. It is impossible to imagine life without Harry and the hole he will leave in our lives," a statement on Twitter said.
"We are SO proud of Harry and everything he achieved in his life and the legacy he has created to help others. We miss him so much."
A post on a JustGiving page set up for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity said Harry took "his last breath after a tough 10-month battle".
Hamilton, the reigning Formula One world champion, received a video message from the boy ahead of a race in Barcelona on 12 May.
The driver said in a Instagram post at the time: "You are such a strong boy, I wish I was as strong as you, I wanted the world to see how strong you are."
Hamilton dedicated his win at the Spanish Grand Prix to Harry, describing the youngster as his "spirit angel".
His Mercedes team sent the trophy and one of Hamilton's cars to the family's Surrey home for the youngster, who had not been outside for three weeks at the time, to enjoy.
His father James Shaw said it had "provided us with a big boost, and a big smile", at a "tremendously difficult time in our lives".
Charlotte Shaw, Harry's mother, said Hamilton's gifts "brought smiles into his life at a time when there's a limited amount of fun to be had".
Harry was four years old when he was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer last August.
Doctors discovered a large tumour in his chest, a message on the donations page said, adding that the boy had "charged through" chemotherapy.
But, despite surgery to remove the lump, his condition worsened and in April, Harry's parents were told he had just one week left to live.