Isla and family celebrate life
Isla Schuster has asked for a trampoline for Christmas.
The 3-year-old’s face lights up as she talks about jumping on the toy, now that she is able.
It has been a rough year for Isla and her family, her mother Melissa Duffell says.
They are happy to be home in Timaru for Christmas after spending the past eight weeks in Christchurch Hospital while Isla underwent five rounds of chemotherapy for a Wilms tumour and surgery to remove a kidney.
A Wilms tumour is a rare kidney cancer most commonly found in children.
The diagnosis came after an already trying year for the family.
Earlier this year, Duffell and partner Hayden Keen bought their first home together and she became pregnant. She lost the baby, her second miscarriage in a year.
When Isla’s stomach began to swell in October, her mother and stepfather took her to the doctor.
‘‘The doctor referred us for a scan and we waited,’’ Duffell said.
When they noticed blood in her urine on Labour Day they went straight to Timaru Hospital.
‘‘They did all the tests there and on Tuesday we were sent to Christchurch Hospital,’’ Duffell said.
Isla’s parents said they knew then that something was seriously wrong with their daughter.
‘‘We were thinking there was some kind of mass in her tummy and that it was growing really fast,’’ Duffell said. ‘‘When they said we would be going to the oncology ward it all fell into place. You don’t go there for no reason.’’
The Wilms tumour was confirmed on the Wednesday.
So began a long stay in Christchurch as the toddler underwent chemotherapy, a blood transfusion, tests and eventually surgery to remove the tumour and a kidney.
‘‘Your life gets turned upside down,’’ Duffell said.
‘‘One day she’s got a lump, the next day your kid’s got cancer. There is no build-up to prepare for it.’’
She said she had become ‘‘paranoid’’ at the hospital, checking every moment that her daughter was okay.
‘‘Before she had the tumour removed it was so big the doctors were worried it would rupture. We were following her around everywhere.’’
The couple said they had learnt to take it day-by-day. Duffell said it had been tough being at hospital alone during the week, while Keen returned to Timaru to work.
‘‘We had to put our lives on hold,’’ she said.
‘‘I haven’t been to work since Labour Weekend.’’
Keen said his employer Juice Products New Zealand, where he works as an operator, had been ‘‘very supportive’’.
‘‘When they tell you you’re going to Christchurch for something they don’t tell you ‘take a lot of stuff’,’’ Duffell said. ‘‘It just all happens really quickly.’’ The time away from work had been tough on them financially. The pair still had a mortgage and rates to pay.
Life still went on as normal around them, they said.
A Givealittle page which had been set up for the family, now closed, had raised about $3000 which Duffell said had been ‘‘really helpful’’.
‘‘We are really thankful to the people who helped us out,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s so expensive when you’re away from home. There’s costs here and there.’’
Duffell’s friend in the North Island has also set up an online auction which people can learn about at the Facebooke page: Isla Schuster Fundraiser.
For the next three Fridays Isla will receive chemotherapy during day visits to Christchurch Hospital.
For now they were looking forward to spending Christmas Day at home, as a family.
‘‘Christmas will be a really special time,’’ Duffell said.
‘‘Isla is really aware of Christmas now and she’s very excited.’’