A FIVE-year-old boy was diagnosed with cancer just weeks after his mum noticed him limping on the way home from school.
Jack, who was previously “happy and healthy”, potentially now has a five per cent chance of survival.
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Mum Sarah first noticed her son struggling to walk in January 2024.
He then started to complain of leg pain, so she took him to see a GP.
Two trips to the doctor and two visits to A&E later, Jack was rushed to Bristol Children’s Hospital, where his family were told he had stage four neuroblastoma.
It is an aggressive form of cancer that affects children, mostly under five. It usually starts in the tummy area and can spread quickly.
Sarah has been visiting the hospital weekly so Jack can receive rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Soon, he will have surgery to remove the tumour and will also need a stem cell transplant, totalling 18 months of treatment.
If successful, he has a 40 to 50 per cent chance of survival, but if he relapses, the odds decrease to just five per cent.
Sarah, a care worker from Somerset, has been told he is at “high risk” of relapse.
“We are devastated,” she said.
The mum added: “I noticed Jack was limping when I picked him up from school.
“I took him to the doctor twice and was told it was likely to be a viral infection irritating the hip and it should get better.
“But by the end of January his pain had gotten worse so I took him to A&E two days in a row.
“The first time, they told me everything was fine and to just give him ibuprofen.
“But on the second visit he had a blood test, then we were sent to another hospital for tests and scans.
“Sadly, on February 1, an MRI scan found a tumour above his right kidney.
“Jack then had a biopsy of the tumour and February 15, Jack was diagnosed with stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma.
“Our lives changed instantly.”
Our beautiful boy was a healthy, happy five-year-old, running around as normal without a care in the world
Sarah
Sarah wants to give her little boy the best chance possible, so she is hoping to raise £250,000 for treatment not available in the UK.
This option, which would involve multiple trips to the US, lowers the possibility of relapse and gives Jack a better chance of survival if his cancer did return.
Sarah, who has worked as a community carer at Brunelcare for more than 10 years, said: “Please help us to give our son the best possible chance.
“Our beautiful boy was a healthy, happy five-year-old, running around as normal without a care in the world.
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“He deserves to live a happy, healthy and full life.”
Jack, whose GoFundMe page has so far raised more than £93,000, said: “I hope I get well soon. I miss going to school and playing with my friends.”
The most common symptoms of neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a cancer that affects children – mostly under the age of five.
It starts in a type of nerve cell called a neuroblast, often in the stomach, but can spread to other parts of the body.
About 100 kids are diagnosed every year in the UK.
Symptoms can be vague, but sufferers might experience:
- A lump or swelling in the tummy
- Stomach pain
- Constipation
If the cancer has spread, people might also report:
- Tiredness
- A fever
- Loss of appetite
- Numbness or weakness
- Loss of movement in the lower part of the body
- Breathlessness
- Difficulty swallowing
- Bruising or bleeding
Doctors group patients according to their risk of the cancer coming back after treatment – low, intermediate and high.
There are also different stages depending on the size of the cancer and whether it has spread – L1, L2, M and MS.
About 70 per cent of children survive for five years or more after they are diagnosed.
Source: Cancer Research UK
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