My son’s abdominal pain turned out to be a rare and aggressive cancer – this is what I want every parent to know before it’s too late

Like a lively and energetic six -year -old boy, William Smith loved animals and music, he was a sports fan and had a passion for the police.

When he fell ill with a stomach complaints and luxury, many parents would have just stealed it into a benign, temporary illness.

“It would have been so easy to say that it was a virus, but I just knew deep inside that something was wrong,” William’s mother Danielle told Daily Mail Australia.

“He showed signs of separation anxiety, which was not like he was, and I thought to myself,” I really have to be viewed and hopefully I am just a paranoid parent. ‘

Tragically enough, Danielle’s instincts were right and a devastating diagnosis was about to turn their world upside down.

The mother of three took William to see their doctor and she shared her worries, so the doctor agreed to perform a series of tests.

Two days later they returned to receive the results. “We were told” that you have to go home and pack a bag for William and yourself – we didn’t know what that meant, except that we knew that one of the test results showed places on his liver. ‘

The family went to the Emergency Department in the Westmead Children’s Hospital and after talking to a doctor, they met an oncologist.

“I remember he said,” I hope I am the wrong doctor for you, “but explained that they had to perform more tests.”

Initially, the team that was the lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph system, and tests showed that William had different tumors in his body, the largest on his liver.

‘The oncologist showed the scans and pointed to the tumors, they were all through his body. I kept thinking how there could be so many tumors and we didn’t know and how could there be so many tumors and William didn’t know, “Danielle shared when her voice started cracking.

“He went off the scan and said” this is William’s heart, “he scrolled down and said,” This is the tumor on the liver. “I asked him to scroll back because the primary tumor was greater than his heart. How can it be bigger than his heart?

“That’s the moment that I killed.”

Despite learning that crushing information that would be impossible for every parent to hear, Danielle remained stoic and strong for William.

‘You can’t fall apart, but so much happens so quickly. If you have your six -year -old who asks: “Mom, am I dying?” – What do you say to your child at that moment? You have to protect your child and do your best. You just can’t fall apart. ‘

Almost two weeks after he was admitted to the hospital and after William had already started chemotherapy treatment, he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer that starts in the early nerve cells of the sympathetic nervous system.

William’s cancer was stage 4, risky and aggressive.

What followed was a debilitating series of treatments for William, including six rounds of chemotherapy, two back -to -back bone marrow transplants that saw him nine long months, radiation and immunotherapy, from the audience.

About 18 months after the treatment started, William was finally ready, but then in a cruel turn, a scan showed another tumor.

‘At that moment it fell in a pattern, a different scan, a different tumor, a different scan, a different tumor. This took a while, “said Danielle.

In January 2018 we were gone on a holiday on the coast, there were about 30 of us who made memories together and I knew something was wrong. I noticed that one of his eyes had turned around and he didn’t look straight.

“We had booked scans when we came home and at that moment the oncologist William had asked to stay in the waiting room and he told me to prepare myself, I knew what he was going to say.”

“He got 6 to 8 weeks. I had prepared myself that he was palliative, and I had come to one point, but everything I had read said it would be six to eight months, so I assumed that we had that time. I can’t even put that into words how I felt when I heard that prognosis. Almost eight weeks later he passed. ‘

“Although they knew what would come in those last eight weeks, if you were with him, you would not have known, people could not believe he was so sick, he did not show it,” Danielle said.

During his debilitating treatment, William was happy to share his experience with other children and families who experienced the same thing.

“He was very open and willing to talk about his experience. He spoke with other children in the hospital and was very willing to argue for what he went through. My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and they would talk about it together. ‘

Danielle and her two oldest children were inspired by William to help other children and their family members who fought against cancer and collect funds for the children with a charity for children by organizing the annual Golden Lintbal.

“It gives a goal why William was here. We would have difficulty dealing with something so terrible without that, so we three of us certainly use it as a healing technique and a way to deal with our grief, “she said.

This month, to acknowledge what William’s 16th birthday would have been, Danielle increases consciousness for charity Care packages 4 Kids -Campagne.

The tailor -made gift boxes contain sweet and savory snacks, puzzles and activities and a handwritten inspiring note. The packs are offered to oncological patients every time they visit a children’s hospital throughout Australia.

‘The time in the hospital is long and whether you are there for a day visit or a longer stay, it is really difficult to keep your child busy. The care packages offer that little distraction, but it also touches that there is someone who takes care of the handwritten notes, “Danielle explained.

“Something so small can make a big difference and even if it is only five minutes that the child forgets their cancer or their treatment, it is five years for the parents.”

Given what Danielle and her family have experienced, the Sydney mother is well placed to share advice to families in a similar situation.

For those who may take a possible diagnosis of cancer, she said, “My advice would be to argue for your child and give how you feel, vote what your worries are.”

Danielle admits that it was ‘difficult’ for her to accept help from others in the period after the diagnosis of William.

‘It took me a few months to accept the support and to argue for him and ask all questions. The community is incredible and there were so many lovely people there for us, I want to pay it ahead. ‘

‘I think if William was with us today, he will participate in fundraising, he would probably lead it and ride it. I think he would be proud. ‘

To support or donate the children with cancer to the Care packages 4 Kids -CampagneClick here.