THE BOY BATTLING RARE FORM OF CANCER
AT just three years old, littlee Drew Barker-Wright is battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Parents Melanie and Jonathan hadd first known something wasn’t rightt when the youngster started sufferingg from severe night sweating, becamee withdrawn and started holding hiss head back.
After visits to specialists, tests and d further investigations, they received d the nightmare news that Drew, off Talgarth, near Brecon, was fighting a rhabdoid tumour at the base of his skull which had spread to his left lung, rib cage and right arm.
The toddler has been having chemotherapy and is in Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
When Drew’s symptoms started, Melanie and Jonathan thought it could be a reaction to an MMR booster. But as the symptoms continued, they knew there was more to it.
After a number of visits to see specialists Drew, an only child who was born after Melanie and Jonathan had been trying for a baby for six years, was referred to a physiotherapist but she told Melanie she had never seen anything like it.
Melanie said: “Our vivacious little boy had changed completely.
“In September we went back to the GP and I said I wanted an MRI scan.”
The tests once again came back normal but doctors decided to investigate further and Drew was transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
When those test results came back the family’s life changed for ever. Within four days of the diagnosis Drew started chemotherapy.
He hasn’t left the hospital in Birmingham since. Melanie is sleeping by his side,side while Jonathan is staying nearby as only one parent can stay on the hospital ward.
Melanie said: “Because the tumour is in between his spinal cord and his windpipe they can’t operate because it could leave him paralysed. He’s having a reassessment in December and having scans again to see if there has been some shrinkage.”
She added: “He hasn’t walked for nearly three weeks. He can’t move without help because of the pain.”
Family friends have set up a JustGiving page to help Melanie and Jonathan with the costs of living away.
More than the target of £5,000 has been raised and they are now hoping to have a second opinion from a US doctor, where the rare form of tumour has had more treatment trials.
With enough funding it could mean Drew would be able to travel abroad for any suggested treatment.
Melanie said: “We have been warmed by the responses we have had to the JustGiving page and even people we don’t know have showed their support.
“It has given us strength and courage and we will not give up.”
Drew’s JustGiving website is www .justgiving .com/ crowdfunding/HELPDREW