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A Dundee boy who fought a lifelong struggle with serious health issues has died in his mum’s arms.
Riley Welsh, 13, died in Ninewells Hospital on Tuesday with mum Leigh Welsh at his side.
The brave teenager has spent his life fighting against serious illness and slipped away peacefully the day after being baptised in his hospital bed.
Leigh has given The Courier permission to share her tribute to her son, posted along with photographs of his final days on a Facebook page dedicated to updates about his journey.
She said: “My baby boy took his last breath, in his mummy’s arms at 10.10 on 29th April 2025.
“He was surrounded by so much love and it was very peaceful. God came for him and he’s in a place now where there is no pain or suffering just a beautiful heaven.”
She added: “My heart is broken into a million pieces but I am the luckiest mummy in the world to have been blessed with 13 beautiful years with the purest soul who taught me love and joy and happiness every day.
“He touched the hearts of so many and was such a special boy.
“I told him until his last breath he was so loved, I was so proud and he was so brave.”
The day before his death, Leigh said on the Living a Life of Riley page: “Riley’s now super sleepy and peaceful with an infusion of medicine running to ensure he’s completely comfortable.
“We’re being taken care of by his ward 29 ‘aunties’ as I call them and all the doctors who’ve walked this journey with us every step of the way, by our sides, holding our hands, hugging us, giving us care beyond all expectation.
“He’s not awakened properly since Wednesday so that was the last blether we had.
“Riley was baptised today and God will be there along side our Granda Robert and his Auntie Clair when he’s ready. Please pray for us.”
The following day Leigh added: “24 hours without my gorgeous, perfect Riley and I miss him so much already.
“Nothing could’ve prepared me for this, it’s indescribable.”
Riley’s lifelong illnesses
Riley was born with microcephaly, a condition which stems from the skull being small and impacts brain development, leaving him immobile and non-verbal.
He was also born with a tracheo-oesophageal fistula which meant his oesophagus wasn’t attached to his stomach, leaving him unable to swallow food.
Riley also had a hole in his heart, was epileptic, blind and deaf.
Dundee boy Riley Welsh is ‘forever 13’
Leigh spoke about photographs she had taken of her and Riley at the cherry blossom trees in Dawson Park only a week before he died.
She said: “He was so happy lying on the bean bag snuggling me, he was always happy cuddled into me I got to keep that for all the years.
“Little did I know I only had seven days left.”
After his death, Leigh said Riley looked “perfect and peaceful and he had a little smile on his face” which gave her comfort that he is no longer suffering.
“Forever 13 my darling boy,” she added.
Mum Leigh dedicated herself to improving Riley’s life and making him as comfortable as possible.
In 2020 she introduced him to ABR therapy which aimed to rebuild the strength, structure and function of his body.
However, over the years Riley spent a huge amount of time in hospital fighting infections and other illnesses.