TRIBUTES have be paid to a toddler who lost his brave battle against leukaemia.

Two-year-old Charlie Harris-Beard of Kidderminster died on Friday following a courageous battle with the illness. Since then his dad Joe and mum Fiona, who is from Droitwich Spa, have received hundreds of messages of support.

There was a minute’s silence in memory of him at the Kidderminster Harriers game on Saturday.

The match was attended by Charlie’s family. He also received a minute’s loud applause for the courage he showed. Messages on Charlie’s facebook page which already has nearly 50,000 ‘likes’ included one from Vicki Ince who has set up an events page called ‘Lets Name A Star After Charlie’.

Charlie and has family have also been nominated for the Pride of Britain Awards 2013 which are only given to a child or adult who has displayed remarkable courage.

In April 2011, Charlie, aged just 10 months, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and within just four months he had been through four intensive cycles of chemotherapy. He had a bone marrow transplant in October 2011. The family has urged people to sign an e-petition to increase awareness and availability of umbilical cord donations which has already received more than 10,000 signatures. The family aims to set up a charity, ‘Cords4Life’ to increase awareness of how umbilical cord donations can save lives.

To support the petition visit Charlie’s facebook page ‘Help Save Baby Charlie Harris-Beard’ or visit epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/45622.