Tributes pour in for “superhero” Oscar Jealous - the Birmingham 10 year-old who won hearts

He is the “superhero” 10 year-old who won hearts across Birmingham as he battled a rare genetic condition.

Oscar Jealous was diagnosed with Batten Disease, a degenerative illness, which took his life last week.

The youngster, from Kingstanding, was recognised as a Child of Courage at the Pride of Birmingham Awards for raising awareness of the disease.

He had a bucket list of wishes to achieve in his short life and inspired so many with his positive attitude with the hashtag #bemoreoscar winning a host of supporters.

One of the most recent tributes is from West Midlands Police who had the pleasure of welcoming Oscar to one of their police stations in the summer of 2020 - a few months after he’d been diagnosed.

One of Oscar’s ambitions had been to become a police officer for the day and the force has told how proud it is to have helped him to fulfil this wish.

A West Midlands spokesperson said: “We were delighted to help Oscar, then aged eight, to fulfil his dream and hosted him and his family at Bournville police station.

“He got behind the wheel of a police car, played custody sergeant in our cell block, and was on cuddle duty with a litter of police pups.

“We also presented Oscar and brother Charlie with their very own West Midlands Police warrant cards as a memento of their shift, plus an album filled with photos from their visit.

“Oscar made a lasting impression on us during his visit and our thoughts are with his family and their friends at this tragic time.

“Junior PC Jealous. You were an officer with us for the day but you will remain in our hearts for many years to come. RIP Oscar.”

In a social media post, Oscar’s family said he was surrounded by relatives in a house full of love and hope for what should have been.

"He fought an incredible fight, we are all so proud of his courage and grateful for the life we shared with him, although it will never feel long enough," they said.

"With the horror of this disease, we are thankful he’s now at peace.

"Our brave, funny, caring, exceptional boy will always be with us and we will keep his legacy alive."

They also revealed they had celebrated Father’s Day early. Since Oscar’s diagnosis in February 2020, his parents, Alex and Dani, and his brother Charlie, have been working to reach out to other families who may have been going through the same journey as them.

In November that year, the family put out a plea for birthday cards for Oscar and received hundreds. They also helped raise money towards his specialist care.

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