Nate faces new fight
Brave boy flies out to see top surgeon
A BOY who is battling brain cancer for the fifth time in his short life is still smiling, despite incredible odds.
Three-year-old Nate Moule will fly to Sydney today to meet again with renowned neurosurgeon Charlie Teo, for examination of a rare embryonic brain tumour that he has had since birth.
Nate, who lives in Mareeba, was first diagnosed with the condition on October 31, and his first surgery removed most of the tumour.
Subsequent surgeries, when the tumour returned, were carried out by Dr Teo in January and May last year.
But after seven weeks of radiation therapy late last year, and Nate being given the all clear in November, his mum Katie Moule said a recent scan had shown the tumour had reemerged.
“Dr Teo will see whether he can help us,” she said.
“We’re just taking each day as it comes.”
Dr Teo is famous for performing lifesaving surgery when other clinicians are reportedly unwilling to operate on patients.
A GoFundMe page set up to support the Moule family with living costs has so far raised nearly $20,000 of its $50,000 goal.
Gate donations from Saturday’s Northern Pride game will support the appeal. Due to the heatwave, Nate was unable to attend the game but his cousins went in his place.
Ms Moule said despite her young son’s health challenges, he had remained optimistic.
“He’s doing extremely well,” she said.
She said the past 18 months had been difficult for the family, having to travel between Sydney and Brisbane constantly.
“I’m all right, mainly because our community has been great up here (on the Tablelands),” she said. “It does take a toll, though. I haven’t been home for 10 weeks at a time, because I’m always living between Sydney and Brisbane.
“It’s extremely hard.”