Our son, 7, went from active to struggling with severe exhaustion before his life-changing cancer diagnosis
The parents of a Lancashire boy who went from being physically active to battling severe nausea and exhaustion before his shocking diagnosis have shared their story.
Patrick, now 7, was diagnosed with a high-grade malignant brain tumour a year ago.
His parents, Martin and Anita from Croston, vividly remember the moment their lives changed upon receiving his diagnosis.
Anita, Patrick’s mother, said: “It was like being hit by a freight train. You don't know where to look or what to do.
“It felt like being thrown into a nightmare, but there was also this tiny bit of relief, because at least we finally knew what was making him sick.
“I was desperate for answers.”
Before the diagnosis, Patrick had suffered from a variety of symptoms, all dismissed by doctors.
He went from being a physically active child - healthy, sports-loving and enjoying time with his friends at school - to a boy struggling with severe nausea, exhaustion, and double vision.
Despite these symptoms, doctors couldn’t find anything wrong.
They attributed the issues to viruses, stomach bugs and general exhaustion, but as Patrick's condition worsened, so did Martin and Anita’s concern.
Shortly after returning from a family holiday, while watching TV at home, Patrick told Anita, “Mummy, I can see two of everything at the side of my eyes. It’s not very clear when I watch the TV.”
After more tests that showed no neurological issues, the family decided that if Patrick was sick the following day, they would take him to A&E.
The A&E team ran neurological tests, which came back clear. However, they decided to perform a CT scan to rule out any serious conditions.
Within the hour, Patrick was diagnosed with a mass in his brain. Medical staff immediately referred him to a specialist centre for further examination.
By that evening, Martin and Anita were told their son likely had a high-grade malignant brain tumour and was scheduled for surgery within 36 hours.
Doctors confirmed the tumour was cancerous during a meeting at Anita’s workplace, which they described as the "hardest meeting of their lives”.
Anita recalled being in tears, struggling to comprehend the news and unsure of how to react.
Although Anita had a better understanding of the medical terms due to her NHS background, coming to terms with Patrick’s diagnosis was particularly difficult for Martin.
Martin said: “[We] knew what this was going to do to our little boy. The impact was going to be significant.
“The prognosis was poor, and even if we could get him through this, we would be left with a severely damaged little boy. That is so difficult to hear.”
Patrick finished his treatment in June, and Martin and Anita were left at a point where they could begin moving forward with their lives, which felt like a strange contrast to the constant appointments and worries they'd endured.
The family first met Dr. Megan Owens, their Tom’s Trust clinical psychologist, about a week after Patrick’s initial surgery and his first round of chemotherapy.
At the time, Patrick was extremely frightened of cannulas and needles, which distressed both Martin and Anita.
Megan supported them by alerting the medical team to Patrick’s concerns beforehand, ensuring a gentler approach was taken.
Anita and Martin emphasized how crucial mental health support was during such a traumatic time.
They said: “You're in a storm, on a boat, and the waves are going up and down.
“You can't see the horizon, but in the middle of it all is your little boy and you feel total disbelief.
“You're very humbled - nobody likes to think of children being terminally ill or sick with cancer, but when that day arrives, you realise just how important it is that there's a world class team and organisation that's ready to be there for you and your family.
“It's going to test all aspects of your life. Nothing about it is normal and your life's blown to pieces.
“As a mum and dad, and as a husband and wife, you’re faced with this huge challenge - most of which you don't understand, but you know you're going to have to organise yourself in a way that makes it work.”
Despite the overwhelming challenges, Anita and Martin received immense support from Tom’s Trust’s clinical psychologists as well as from Patrick’s school, his classmates, the hospital staff, friends and extended family.
Martin says: “It's Tom's Trust that stitches all these components together.
“People should support Tom's Trust because you do need that bridge that brings together all these different services.
“Tom's Trust as a charity, and the teams we've had access to - for us, it's our extended family, and we've needed family around and people that understand us as people.”
To find out more about Tom’s Trust, visit: www.tomstrust.org.uk