CANCER battler Sam Shaw celebrated his fifth birthday yesterday while looking forward to heading home this weekend.

The youngster, from Hoddlesden, has finished his final course of immunotherapy in Philadelphia.

Mum Christine, who has stayed with Sam in the US since October, said she had been looking forward to spending Sam’s birthday out of hospital.

She added: “He had his last injection on Tuesday, so he was looking forward to his birthday without having a painful injection. We celebrated with party banners and balloons.”

As part of the day, Sam went to Smith’s playhouse.

Christine said: “It is his favourite place here. He has enjoyed visiting in between hospital stays when he has felt well enough to venture out.

“Sam also enjoys going to a local bookstore on a Wednesday for storytime, so we went there before going out for a birthday tea, as he is enjoying food now his appetite has returned.

“We wanted to make his birthday a very different event from last year where he spent it in hospital in the middle of a three day chemotherapy session,” said his mum.

With only one course of treatment to go, which can be administered orally, Sam will fly back to the family’s Glencoe Avenue home on Sunday.

Christine said: “We have met some wonderful people during the last four-and-a-half months here in Philadelphia.

“Molly, his favourite nurse here, has been truly fantastic with him and she came to find him in the clinic to give him a goodbye hug.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped make this all possible.

“We will be forever grateful to all those amazing people raised funds to get us here.”