Family turn to clinical trials in bid to help Mason, 7, in his fight with cancer
FUNDRAISING STARTS AS TREATMENT FAILS TO HELP
THE family of a seven-year-old boy who was diagnosed with cancer are now turning to clinical trials in an attempt to help him.
Mason Hughes, whose family live between Chaddesden and Breadsall, was diagnosed in September 2021.
He had been struggling with serious bouts of stomach aches, but his family say this was dismissed by doctors multiple times.
Eventually, scans showed a large tumour inside Mason’s stomach and he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma – a form of cancer that most often effects infants and young children.
After his diagnosis, Mason began treatment of rounds of chemotherapy, with the hope that it would control the spread and shrink his tumour. However this did not go to plan.
His mum Robyn Hoard said: “At the minute, he’s got a bit of a break off chemo, just because his last chemotherapy didn’t work. So we are now down to clinical trials, which he’ll start within the next month hopefully.
“He was meant to be moving on to surgery, but there’s just been no improvement. In fact, things have got slightly worse.
“So clinical trials are the next step and hopefully they’ll do it. We have no idea at the minute what they will entail, I’m finding out more in the next couple of weeks whether it’s more chemo or something else.”
Since September, Robyn has had to leave her job as a support worker to care for Mason full-time. She also has a three-year-old son, Casey, to look after.
Mason’s diagnosis and treatment has hit the family hard, and is taking its toll on Robyn.
She added: “It’s definitely been a whirlwind of emotions. Some days when I properly think about things I’m not very good at all, but I just push it to the side because I struggle to parent two young children when I’m feeling very depressed. It’s hard, but we’re dealing with it.”
Ahead of the clinical trials, the family are now looking to raise as much money as possible for the ward where Mason receives his treatment at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.
The family and some of their friends took part in a sponsored car wash at the weekend in order to reach their target of over
£1,000.
Adam Ementon,
30, who was at Saturday’s fundraiser with his business AE Professional Car Valeting, said: “Mason seems to be
doing well, he’s happy and just recently celebrated his birthday. But we want to spread the word about what we’re doing so we can raise more money. “We’re hoping to spread the awareness of the condition like what Mason’s got, but also raise as much money as possible for the QMC ward he’s on.
“He’s spent quite a lot of his time there due to his illness, so if we can help to provide equipment we’d love to.”
It’s definitely been a whirlwind of emotions... It’s hard, but we’re dealing with it
Mum Robyn Hoard