The family of Kristopher King from Elgin have paid tribute to their “happy wee loon” who died just weeks after his seventh birthday.
The New Elgin Primary pupil, who had a rare condition affecting lymph tissue in his leg, was recovering from pneumonia when he suddenly passed away.
Today his parents have shared his life story, remembering the happy times and final moments spent with their clever boy, who had a talent for drawing, and was a fan of robots.
Beautiful baby boy, born in Elgin
Kristopher King was born on May 25 2017 weighing nine pounds “on the dot.”
Son of Steven and Tina King from Elgin, Tina had just finished her final accountancy exams when baby Kristopher arrived.
A planned home birth turned into a dash to Dr Gary’s when the delivery was stalled but “great care” and “no real issues” meant a happy and healthy baby boy welcomed into the King fold.
With one daughter Hannah already, Kristopher was the couple’s first son.
“He was just this gorgeous baby boy and we were delighted he arrived safely,” said dad Steven, an engineer for Diageo.
“Aside form a wee hernia, which is really common and was corrected after birth, he had port wine stains on his toes and legs. We just thought they were cute little birth marks. They certainly didn’t stop his sister from being all over him, all the time.”
Rare condition impacted Kristopher
They didn’t know it at the time but the red marks on Kristopher’s body were actually a sign of a rare condition called Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome.
Named after the two French doctors who discovered it in 1900, the three main symptoms are port wine stains, varicose veins and hypertrophy (extra growth) of one limb.
“It led to Kristopher having quite a lot of medical issues actually,” said Steven. “It meant Kristopher had extra lymphatic tissue and veins in his leg, which at times was incredibly painful.
“We didn’t always appreciate maybe how much pain he was in, when he was younger.”
As the King family grew to five children, mum and dad would notice Kristopher becoming “a bit short” with his siblings occasionally.
“Some days he would happily play away and then others he’d be grumpy and sad. We know now that was because of pain.”
Mum’s lockdown bid for help
The first major impact the illness had was the development of a clot that meant Kristopher found it painful to sit down.
“We’re the type of family who likes to eat together around the table, but he just couldn’t. So we bought him his own little standing table so he could graze and come and go as he pleased.
“We soon had our happy wee loon back but that really impacted his appetite from then on.”
When lockdown restrictions were put in place the Kings were advised to shield as Kristopher had an enlarged spleen.
“Kristopher became quite unwell during that time. Actually, the only way I can describe it was like watching a woman in labour,” added Steven.
Desperate for help mum Tina called the surgeon who had corrected Kristopher’s hernia. The complexity of his illness meant the family had “no one expert” to turn to.
Hero doctor changed Kristopher’s life
“They told us to bring him in to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary children’s department for a week,” said Steven, “so they could look after him and get to the bottom of the issue.”
Just before his third birthday, and struggling to walk, Kristopher was found to have internal bleeding of the pelvis.
But for Tina and Steven, along with the gratitude of Kristopher’s pain being treated, came the “unforeseen blessing” of meeting Dr Bishop.
“We speak about Kristopher’s life in terms of before Dr Bishop and after, such was the life-changing difference.
“When Kristopher got expert treatment everything was better. His speech improved, he was happy, in less pain. Dr Bishop is our hero.”
The difference was visible.
When Steven’s brother Kris visited from abroad he commented that the difference in his namesake from one year to the next was radical.
“He said he was like a different wee boy. And he was,” added Steven.
Nursery challenges couldn’t stop Kristopher
Kristopher was able to start nursery, first at Rainbow Castle then Liberty Kids.
“There is always a bit of panic when you hand in two sides of A4 medical history notes, but we used to just say, ‘just meet him… you’ll see.'” Steven explained.
And when they did meet Kristopher they met a happy, clever, funny “little loon” who had boundless energy.
“Well, he had tons of energy one day, but would constantly over-exert himself. His condition meant his leg was larger and full of extra lymph tissue. So if he over did it one day – which he loved to do, tanking about on his bike, or playing with his pals – he would suffer for it for the next three days.”
Settling in at school
When it came time to start school Kristopher was enrolled in Linkwood Primary, which opened in 2021.
By this time Kristopher was well used to weekly blood tests – which he called his “spikeys” – and regular visits to hospital.
The family believe the new-build school triggered “a wee bit of hospital trauma.”
“He would say to us, ‘did this used to be a hospital dad?’ He just never fully settled though the people themselves were great.
“So he moved to New Elgin Primary, where I went as a boy,” said Steven.
He had a maturity ‘beyond his years’
Happier at school Kristopher still bravely faced health challenges. His toe needed a partial amputation as it was growing too large but he literally took it in his stride, walking out of hospital afterwards.
Kristopher enjoyed taking part in sports days – even if he had to rest for days following, and his drawing and sketching skills continued to impress.
His family say he had a maturity beyond his years for handling life’s challenges.
Summer holiday sickness
As the school broke up for summer holidays, just weeks past his seventh birthday, Kristopher became unwell.
Initially thought to be whooping cough he actually had pneumonia.
Ensuring his own regular medication wasn’t affected by the need for antibiotics, a team of medics were on the case to get Kristopher better.
“He was starting to get better but had been really quite poorly.
“His leg was so sore we carried him around the house but when he got the correct antibiotics he started improving,” said Steven.
“We has started clearing an area in the garden and after a few days he asked Tina if he could go outside and join her. We were delighted he was improving and he was chuffed to have a wee shovel to dig about outside.”
One final bedtime as a family
He finished the course of medication and was believed to be over the worst of it.
A bit out of his normal routine, because of his illness he had been staying up later with mum and dad. On the night of Tuesday July 23 dad suggested an earlier bedtime.
“He was beside us on the couch about 10 to eight, probably watching Teen Titans. I said ‘right, up to bed.’ I had been exercising and so asked Tina to take him. But as she had been up early with one of the other children she asked me to carry him instead, and she brought his water bottle and blanket.
“I can’t remember the last time both of us put him to bed. It was forever ago. But we are grateful for that now. We both kissed him, said ‘night night’, tucked him in… that was the last bed time we had with him.”
Frantic dash to hospital to help Kristopher
Later that night Tina woke Steven up to say Kristopher was really distressed.
He had become very unwell and was complaining his heart was beating fast.
“His breathing was shallow but he was conscious enough to tell us about his heart.
“When I took his hands they were cold. We decided to abandon plans to call NHS 24 and just take him straight to hospital,” said Steven.
Tina packed him a bag with his tablet and charger, and a change of clothes, as they had done so many times before. She stayed with their other children at home and Steven rushed him to A and E.
“As we got to the hospital he recognised it. He said ‘oh no, the spikeys’ but I reassured him he was there so doctors could help him feel better.
“I sat him on the counter of the reception area and the last thing he asked was to sit in a blue chair. All the waiting room chairs were green apart from a wheelchair, so I sat him in there.
“It’s a all a blur from then really. A doctor recognised how ill he was and I carried him into the resus room, although I can’t really remember how I got there.”
‘They called it…’
As Steven laid Kristopher down in the resuscitation area he saw his son deteriorate.
He was taken to a family room and a quick-thinking nurse helped Tina organise a taxi to get to the hospital.
The couple were told their seven-year-old son’s heart had stopped.
“Seeing your child worked on, getting CPR by a room full of people, should be traumatic. But we don’t look at it like that,” said Steven, reflecting on the final moments medics spent with Kristopher.
“It maybe sounds weird but we just saw 15 heroes working so incredibly hard to bring our boy back to us. They were so compassionate and so caring. We just know that everyone who could help, was helping.
“It all stopped when the chest compressions were hurting more than helping.
“Then they called it.
“He had gone.”
Kristopher passed away on Wednesday July 24 at 3am.
Kristopher didn’t suffer
The couple then spent time alone with their little boy before Steven went outside for some air.
A doctor, who had been called in from home to help with Kristopher, stopped to talk.
“He was in casual clothes, rushed in from home… he just reassured me that Kristopher didn’t suffer and wouldn’t have known what was happening.
“That’s another small blessing in all of this.”
Grateful for love and support
In the days since Kristopher’s death the family say they are managing because of a groundswell of love and support.
They are now planning a celebration of his life which will take place on August 12.
Kristopher’s service will be led by Father Colin Stewart.
“Kristopher spent a lot of time with the Domincan Sisters at the convent in Elgin after nursery when he was younger. He absolutely loved Father Colin, so we are really pleased that he will be doing his funeral,” said Steven.
“We are just trying to keep going for our other children, dealing with the reality that there’s one less to drop off, or to have round the table.”
‘I love you, son’
Asked if there was one memory of his son that stands out Steven recalled a moment from a few weeks ago.
“It was the start of the summer holidays. The other children were at clubs but I was at home with Kristopher. We were building robots – which he loved – and he told me that when he grew up he wanted to be a robot engineer.
“I turned and said ‘Kristopher I love you.’
“He looked at me, said ‘I know dad’, and kept on playing.
“He was just the best.”
- Kristopher’s family are raising money to be split between the children’s departments of Dr Gray’s Hospital and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. You can donate here.
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