Finn (10) touched hearts of many in his short life

The little boy, whose dad Oisin is from Portadown, had been sent home from Great Ormond St Hospital last week.

Finn touched many hearts in his short life and was thrilled when thousands signed up to his YouTube site ‘Finn the Phoenix’ over recent weeks.

Last night his dad said: “It is with great sadness that we have to tell you that our brave little Finn the Phoenix passed away in the early hours of this morning: 25/06/18.

“He was courageous to the end and his positivity always shone through.

“Finn believed that as the Phoenix rises from the ashes, he would, too.

“We are so incredibly proud of him and heartbroken that we have lost our little ray of sunshine.

“We thank everyone who has supported Finn and our family through this difficult journey and know that you will respect our need for space and privacy at this time.”

Finn, who was battling cancer in his spine and pelvis, kept a ‘jolly’ temperament despite rigorous chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.

Throughout his therapy the youngster has immersed himself in his YouTube channel updating it with regular podcasts.

Just last week, his dad Oisin thanked everyone who had signed up to the channel and currently there are almost 3,000 subscribers.

Metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma affects fewer than 60 children in the UK each year - and Finn’s was stage 4.

For Finn’s dad Oisin, whose late father Brendan was a well known teacher and school principal in Maghery, it has been a heartbreaking time. “Finn had to deal with many difficult challenges such as his phobia of needles and anaesthesia, extreme nausea, loss of weight, constant lethargy, loss of mobility and bodily functions, loss of his hair, in addition to managing extreme pain on a daily basis.

“During all of the time Finn was sick he kept himself positive by starting the YouTube channel called Finn the Phoenix fired up.

“This has been a great medium for him to express himself. I think it is a reflection of his positivity that he has chosen a phoenix as his username and logo.

“He also recently told me that he thinks that life is a dream and when you die, you just wake up... very profound for his age.”

Check out his site and subscribe for free at www.youtube.com/channel/UCTA5MxW001I45RKzTC4KmAA?app=desktop