Prizes

By playing our Spring Grand Draw, you can help support children like Mason who have faced gruelling cancer treatments. His dad, James shares their journey so far.  

Our lockdown baby, Mason, seemed happy and healthy in January 2021. But everything changed when we found a small lump on his back, shortly after his first birthday. We initially thought it was harmless, but it grew bigger. He was diagnosed with an abdominal round cell soft tissue sarcoma in May that year. This unexpected turn of events drastically changed his future.

He began chemotherapy straight away, before the diagnosis, due to the rapid growth of the lump. Doctors warned us that it was highly aggressive and fast dividing, which was alarming to hear.

Mason starting chemotherapy was a difficult milestone for him and the family. It marked the beginning of physical changes and gruelling side effects caused by the treatment. The beginning stages left him physically sick, pale, and disoriented. It was incredibly stressful as we grew concerned about the aggressive nature of the treatment – but we were reassured about the necessity.

The next stages of chemotherapy became somewhat more manageable. But being hooked up to machines for four days straight was incredibly challenging for a toddler. We played movies to distract him, in particular his favourite, ‘The Bee Movie’, hoping that he wouldn’t remember these tough times. Mason had an operation to remove the tumour in October 2021, which was deemed a success. But the journey ahead would still be difficult.

During Mason’s chemotherapy, we learnt that he would also need an intensive cycle of proton beam therapy. For six long weeks, Mason received proton sessions that required general anaesthesia. During this gruelling period, he suffered with skin irritation and digestive issues as a result of the treatment.

Distraction techniques helped ease his discomfort. Towards the end of this period, his appetite improved, and he became more cheerful.

After six long, stressful months of treatment, Mason pulled through and survived cancer. We are so grateful for this. If Mason’s story helps just one other person going through the same thing, then it’s been worth sharing.

If you can, please enter the Spring Grand Draw. I’ve experienced first-hand how cancer can impact the life of a young child.