Heartbroken parents’ warning to others after son died from ‘tummy bug’
THE heartbroken parents of a boy who died from a rare cancer have issued a warning to others not to dismiss “tummy bugs”.
Joanne Hedley and Peter Hayes lost their little boy to neuroblastoma this year, months after he seemed under the weather.
The devastated pair first thought he had a common bug when he had an upset stomach and fever in nursery last year.
But their world crumbled when the four-year-old was diagnosed with a tumour after several weeks of tests.
He went through months of brutal treatment following the stage three prognosis, with the family hoping for remission.
But tragically, just weeks after his baby brother was born, Reggie felt unwell again and doctors found his cancer was back and had spread to other organs. He died just ten days later.
Since the youngster died in July, his parents want others to know the signs, as the disease can be overlooked and undiagnosed for a long time.
Stomach problems are a red flag for the disease, but it can also cause fever, bone pain and mood swings.
Joanne : “We were completely blinded. We had no clue whatsoever about it.
“We just thought he had a poorly tummy and would get some paracetamol and be sent home.
“We want to raise as much as awareness so people don’t think ‘it’s just a tummy bug’.”
“It was devastating. We had been planning holidays and for Reggie going to school in September.
“He was so excited. We thought he could finally start living his life.
“Up until they told us there was nothing more they could do, we still thought he would bounce back because he had done so well.”
Signs of neuroblastoma:
The early signs and symptoms of neuroblastoma can be very hard to spot, especially in young babies as they can be mistaken for other common conditions.
However, according to NHS Choices, signs and symptoms of neuroblastoma include:
- A swollen painful tummy
- Constipation
- Breathlessness
- Difficult swallowing
- A lump in the neck
- Blue lumps on the skin and bruising
- Fatigue, weakness and bone pain
- Jerky eye and muscle movements
Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that develops in nerve cells that have been left behind from their development in the womb.
It usually develops in the adrenal glands next to the kidneys but can also form in the spinal cord, neck, chest, pelvis or abdomen and is able to spread to other organs.
It is unknown what causes the cancer but it affects around 100 children in the UK every year with many of them under five.
The outlook for children diagnosed with the condition varies and mainly depends on if the cancer has spread.
