Boy collecting racing stickers for his coffin loses battle against leukaemia

An 11-year-old boy with leukaemia, who launched an appeal for racing stickers to cover his burial casket, has died.

Caleb Hammond, a young racing fan from Iowa in the US, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in February last year.

A Facebook post quoting his mother Holly Kempf confirmed the boy died at 2am on Monday (local time).

“Our little Mr went peacefully in his sleep at 2.00 a.m. today surrounded by our families,” Iowa speedway worker Laura Mulder reshared the mother’s words.

“Before I was woken up being told he was getting ready to pass, he was smiling at me while I was dreaming. With my hand on his chest, I felt his last breath and a few last heart beats.”

Michael Sytsma, of Bates Funeral Chapel in Oskaloosa, confirmed Caleb died on Monday but declined to say where.

• ‘They’re hungry’: Major warning as snakes come out of hibernation

• Man’s creepy discovery in Airbnb during holiday with girlfriend

• Teen dead, more missing after jumping into river to avoid police

Caleb received a bone marrow transplant in January, but after undergoing chemotherapy and three rounds of treatment the leukaemia returned aggressively.

His stepmother, Kaylee Hammond, posted a photo of the boy on her Facebook page and said in a post Saturday that he had taken a turn for the worse Friday.

His family brought him home to Oskaloosa after determining the painful leukemia treatments he’d been undergoing at hospital weren’t working and other options offered little hope.

Race drivers and others answered his social media call for stickers to decorate his casket, and he was even given a chance to drive a race car at a local track, under the guidance of a 12-year-old racer.