Bailey Cooper was only nine years old when cancer took his life, but the memory of his courage continues to live on through his family and community. In the years since his death, his parents have fought to protect his legacy, holding tightly to memories of his smile and strength. That fragile healing was shattered when they discovered strangers had used Bailey’s image in a heartless online scam.
Bailey passed away on Christmas Eve in 2017 after a 15-month battle with cancer. His family from Patchway remember him as a boy who smiled through unimaginable pain. He held on just long enough to meet and help name his newborn baby sister, a moment his parents will cherish forever.
For Rachel and Lee Cooper, life after Bailey’s death has been about survival. They tried to focus on the joy he brought into their lives rather than the cruelty of his illness. But nothing could have prepared them for what they discovered years later.
The family were left shaken after learning that a fake Instagram account and GoFundMe page had been created using Bailey’s photograph. The page claimed to be raising money for a boy named “Declan,” whose story was entirely fabricated. Even worse, the image used to generate sympathy and donations was their son.
The Instagram account, named “harrykane_birthday,” falsely claimed to be connected to Harry Kane. Posts were written as if they came from the England football captain himself, giving the scam a disturbing sense of authenticity. The account attracted around 45,000 followers in a short time.
The fake fundraiser claimed the money would be used to organise a final birthday party for the child. It said his “favourite footballer” would attend, exploiting the emotional vulnerability of people who wanted to help a dying child. For the Coopers, reading those lies was unbearable.
Rachel described her reaction as pure shock. At first, she thought it must be a cruel joke. Then the reality sank in that someone had deliberately used her dead son’s image to deceive thousands of people.
“I didn’t think the world was this cruel,” she said. “I know it’s not a nice place sometimes, but this was beyond anything I imagined.”
What made the situation even more devastating was the impact on Bailey’s siblings. His younger brother saw the fake page and struggled to understand why his brother’s face was being used again. For a family already carrying grief, the pain was reopened in the most violent way.
Rachel admitted the incident has left her frightened of social media. She worries about what else could be taken from her family without consent. The sense of violation was overwhelming.
Both the Instagram account and the GoFundMe page were eventually removed. GoFundMe confirmed that the campaign was taken down within minutes of being posted. The company stated that no donations were ever accessed by the fraudster.
Instagram, owned by Facebook, also issued a statement expressing sympathy for the family. A spokesperson said impersonation accounts violate community guidelines and are removed once reported. Still, for the Coopers, the damage had already been done.
Bailey’s original story is one of extraordinary bravery. He first became ill in the summer of 2016, and after extensive testing, doctors diagnosed him with stage three non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Despite the severity of the diagnosis, treatment began with optimism.
Chemotherapy and steroids initially worked, and by early 2017 Bailey entered remission. He returned to school, attended check-ups, and tried to live like any other child. For a brief time, hope returned.
That hope was crushed during a family holiday at Easter, when doctors confirmed the cancer had returned. Bailey’s condition deteriorated rapidly in the months that followed. On Christmas Eve, surrounded by his family, he passed away.
Hundreds of people attended Bailey’s funeral, including then Tom Lockyer, captain of Bristol Rovers FC, who had formed a special bond with the young football fan. The turnout was a testament to how deeply Bailey had touched those around him.
Bailey’s father once said that his son laughed even in pain. He pulled funny faces, made nurses smile, and brought light into dark rooms. That is how his family wants him remembered.
The scam using Bailey’s image did more than attempt fraud. It showed how easily grief can be exploited online. For the Cooper family, it was a brutal reminder that even sacred memories are not safe from cruelty.
Yet despite the pain, they continue to speak out. By sharing what happened, they hope to protect other families from similar trauma. Bailey’s story, both in life and after death, continues to remind the world of kindness, courage, and the importance of dignity.
And that is a legacy no scammer can ever steal.