PARENTS of a five-year-old boy with leukaemia have asked people to "pray for our Bear" after his latest treatment failed to work.

Oscar Saxelby-Lee, from Worcester, has been in the news across the world after thousands of people attended testing events in the city to see if they could be a stem cell donor to help him beat an aggressive form of blood cancer.

Last month, we reported that doctors had said Oscar had just three months to live without a stem cell transplant.

As his parents, Olivia Saxelby, 23, and Jamie Lee, 26, wait to find out whether a donor has been found for a transplant, she took to Facebook on Sunday to update people on Oscar's battle.

She wrote that, after a minimum residual disease (MRD) test over the weekend, doctors decided that Oscar now needs a different form of treatment.

"The MRD results from this test came back as high risk once again meaning that the regimen he was put on after no response to previous treatment is also not working," wrote Olivia, a University of Worcester student.

"Before entering transplant the leukaemia blasts need to be below 0.05 per cent, in Oscar's case the blasts remain at 30 per cent.

"After more tears and heartache we have been given a different regimen to try. This time it has to work.

"We know he can fight this, we know he will show everyone just how strong he is, and we know he will continue to amaze us all.

"He is such a clever little lad who wants to know exactly what is going on and although we want to protect him, we also want to give him the opportunity to take charge of his life in some way.

"He may only be five years old but he is on top of everything and has adapted to this life so quickly from refusing all meds to taking them independently and questioning the medical staff as well as telling them how to do things right.

"He has grown into a mini doctor and not once has he asked to go home – that to us is just incredible."

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Following the news about the treatment, the family enjoyed a day out with Oscar at the Sea Life Centre in Birmingham before returning to hospital.

Olivia added: "They played for hours upon end with bubbles, pottery making, Playdough and games.

"Putting aside all the negatives of side effects from medication, Oscar has had a wonderful weekend with Freddie and his family who have been our rocks through yet again emotional tough times.

"We have accepted this journey but we just wish we could take it all away and start again! Our lives have changed completely and it will never be the same again but we have been truly blessed with this little warrior."