My warrior Princess… Born with Cancer
Shannen knew that there was something wrong with her girl
My second pregnancy was textbook. With my first baby Morgan I’d had pre-eclampsia. But, this time... ‘I’ve never felt better,’ I said to my fiance Jay, 25.
I’d no cravings, no pain, no sickness.
We couldn’t wait for baby number two. And, a week before my due date, on 23 July 2015, I delivered our healthy 6lb 7oz baby girl at Hull Royal Infirmary. ‘Hello, little Charleen,’ I cooed to my perfect baby. Suddenly, she started crying – and she just wouldn’t stop. ‘This one’s going to be difficult,’ Jay laughed after a few hours. I’d not had this problem with Morgan. And, after feeds, nappy changes and plenty of cuddles, Charleen still cried. I didn’t sleep a wink that night.
Instead, I spent it upright, holding Charleen as she screamed non-stop.
‘It’s normal,’ midwives smiled. Was it?
But, telling myself that all babies cry, the next day, we took her home.
For four days, Charleen screamed. She struggled to feed, and hardly slept.
Jay and I felt like zombies. ‘Something’s not right,’ I said to my mum Sally, 50.
Then my health visitor found Charleen hadn’t gained weight.
After a month, I went back to the hospital.
‘It’s acid reflux,’ a doctor told me.
Screaming
Given medication for Charleen, I was relieved. But, after another month, it wasn’t working.
‘I feel like a terrible mum,’ I sobbed to Jay.
All I wanted was for my baby to be happy.
Then, on 21 October, when Charleen was 3 months old, she started screaming again after a nap.
‘What’s that?’ Mum gasped, picking her up to cuddle her.
Her hand was on Charleen’s left leg, where there was a huge, swollen lump like she’d been bitten.
I took her straight to the GP’S for advice.
‘There’s no puncture wound,’ I was told. ‘So it can’t be a bite.’
We were referred to the hospital, where doctors took X-rays immediately, thinking she had a broken leg.
It wasn’t that, so they took bloods the next day – but there was no infection.
Now I knew something was seriously wrong.
On the second day,
Charleen was put to
sleep for an MRI scan, and we were sent home to wait for the results… Only, we were told Charleen needed a biopsy and an ultrasound scan.
Biopsy?
I immediately thought of cancer.
‘Prepare for the worst,’ doctors said.
And the worst happened. On 13 November, Charleen was diagnosed with a rare soft-tissue cancer called infantile fibrosarcoma.
‘She was born with it,’ the specialist said.
Turns out she had a 7in tumour on her leg, pressing on her nerve. That’s why she’d been crying. She was in pain!
‘Charleen needs surgery straightaway,’ the doctor said.
I went home in total shock, spent hours researching online.
So many sad stories. Was my baby going to die, too?
Next day, we were sent to a specialist children’s cancer unit at Leeds General Infirmary.
Doctors said Charleen would need 22 weeks of chemo. Extreme, but at least it meant there was a chance.
A week after her diagnosis, she had the first round of chemo. It was terrifying. Her wispy baby hair thinned. She stopped screaming, barely made a peep. We hardly saw poor Morgan. ‘Charleen has a poorly leg,’ we told him.‘she needs special medicine to make her better.’
But, before Charleen’s last round, she got a life-threatening infection similar to sepsis.
On a course of antibiotics for three weeks, her vital signs were so low, they thought she’d need to be put into a coma. But, thankfully, she pulled through.
Charleen’s last chemo was in April. And, four weeks later, she had an op to remove the mass.
It was over six hours later when we were allowed in to see her in Recovery…
And she woke up a different baby – giggling and smiley. Doctors showed me pictures of the tumour. It was massive compared to her tiny leg.
We were able to take Charleen home four days later.
And then we just had to wait for test results that would reveal if she was cancer-free. Six weeks on, we got the call… Success!
Charleen was officially in remission, just weeks before her first birthday! And we’d thought she might not see the day.
So cheeky!
Of course, she got royally spoilt. Friends and family got together for a huge party, with balloons, food and lots of games.
Now Charleen’s had a nerve transplant to replace the ones doctors had to remove with the tumour.
I can’t believe how much she’s changed! She’s so cheeky and bubbly now.
I’m hoping mums and dads will see our story , check their own children and go to the doctors if they find a lump.
But, if the worst happens, as it did for us, believe that your child can survive cancer.
Our little warrior princess is living proof!
Go to Facebook and search ‘Charleen’s Fight Against Infantile Fibrosarcoma’.
In remission ...weeks before her first birthday!