NICE TO BE HOME
Kaiden makes great progress in cancer battle and doesn’t need specialist until February
A 12-year-old cancer patient says it is nice to be home after he completed eight months of treatment in the USA and England.
Kaiden Pritchard, of Y Glyn, Caernarfon was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma in March after finding a lump the size of a two-penny piece on his palate.
Since then the battling Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen pupil travelled to Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool to have the tumour removed and then flew with his parents Arwel and Hayley to Jacksonville, Flor- ida, in June so he could begin specialised proton radiotherapy treatment.
Family and friends had raised funds to pay for his parents to accompany him.
He flew back to the UK in August, because he responded so well and there were no breaks in his treatment.
Yesterday Kaiden was relaxing at home and happy after receiving good news on Monday from consultants at Alder Hey who said they don’t need to see him now until February.
In the meantime, Kaiden has been reunited with brothers Kian, 10, Konner, nine, and Kelt, seven.
He has also hooked up with his school- mates at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen where he has been spending mornings and afternoons with a view to returning full-time in the New Year.
He marked the end of his treatment by ringing a bell at Alder Hey, but will have to return for another operation between now and the New Year to take out his chemotherapy lines.
Manchester United fan Kaiden plays football for Caernarfon junior side Cae Glyn side where dad Arwel is coach.
His mum Hayley said: “It was really frightening to leave the family and stressful. We were with Kaiden in America for eight weeks while he had the proton radiotherapy. It’s been a long journey. Although the doctors haven’t given him the all-clear, they were really pleased with his progress and the MRI scans from the clinic have been really good. He’s been very brave.”
Dad Arwel added: “Kaiden is carrying on with his life. You can’t not go out.”
Kaiden has a busy time in front of him now as he has been chosen to turn on the Christmas lights in Caernarfon.
Friends are also raising money to help the family by selling raffle tickets and male staff at Caffi’r Maes will be growing moustaches for “Movember” especially for Kaiden.