As a parent there’s such excitement when you welcome a new baby, and so many firsts to celebrate – their first giggle, their first birthday and, of course, their first Christmas.
But for Cindy the firsts with her daughter Isabella were heart-breaking – the first time she heard her daughter had cancer, Isabella’s first time in isolation and the first time Isabella’s Hickman Line was inserted to start delivering the treatment they hoped would save her life.
Isabella was diagnosed with cancer at just two days old. Her first few months were an uphill battle, but Isabella is a fighter. Because of the intensity of Isabella’s treatment, she wasn’t able to go home for her first Christmas. Cindy, Isabella and Isabella’s big brother Mannix (then 11) were living in a room on the hospital ward during that time.
“I didn’t go outside for the first five months,” says Cindy. “I’ll never forget Mary, our Family Support Coordinator, bringing me in a baby monitor. This meant I could go to the shared kitchen and see other parents, while still being able to hear Isabella. The small, thoughtful things provided by Child Cancer Foundation make such a big difference.”
The newborn underwent intensive treatment, fought off numerous infections and, at seven months old, received her first bone marrow transplant. Then at eight months old, Isabella was finally able to go home for the first time. Life seemed to be returning to normal.
But two months later Isabella’s cancer returned. Treatment wasn’t working and Isabella was placed under palliative care. Cindy prepared herself to say goodbye to her precious child.
“There were so many times that we didn’t think she would make it. She was so little and the cancer was so aggressive.”
At this time, for Isabella to have a fighting chance at life, she needed another bone marrow transplant. But her body was too weak. Instead, she was placed on an experimental treatment developed to suppress the cancer, it was hoped Isabella’s young body would become strong enough to face the rigours of another transplant operation.
“We managed to keep the cancer at bay for two months, before it started to fight back…thankfully this was long enough to get Isabella to the stage where she could have the transplant.”
Following the second transplant, Isabella went into multiple organ failure after picking up a nasty bug. Her family began another long vigil at her bedside through December and over her second Christmas. Then she fought back. On 29 December 2016 she returned home.
This will be the first Christmas that Isabella has celebrated at home. Cindy’s wee battler is now two-years-old and, despite ongoing health issues, nothing will stop this bubbly child and her family from celebrating Christmas in style this year. In fact, the Christmas tree went up in October!
This Christmas holiday season please help us support children with cancer and their families and ensure Isabella and other children like Isabella have a future they can smile about.
Click here to make a one-off donation now.
Join the Discussion
Type out your comment here:
You must be logged in to post a comment.