Toddler recognized with incurable tennis ball-sized mind tumour mother and father thought was ‘abdomen bug’

Mother and father of a toddler who thought he had a abdomen bug had been shocked when docs discovered a “time bomb” tumour the scale of a tennis ball of their younger son’s mind.

Lucas Garcia-Batalla had flu-like signs, together with a lack of urge for food and vomiting. Simply ten days after his first birthday, which was April 1, 2019, the toddler was recognized with a grade 3 anaplastic ependymoma – a fast-growing malignant tumour.

Since then Lucas, now aged six, has endured three main mind surgical procedures, 13 months of chemotherapy and two months of proton beam remedy. Regardless of that, his mother and father – David Garcia Jurado, 42, and Laura Batalla, 38 – concern he has lower than a 12 months to dwell.

David, a senior undertaking supervisor, from Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, defined: “Simply earlier than his first birthday Lucas was sick. He did not have a lot urge for food however we thought it was a abdomen bug. He did not cease vomiting, he was torpid, and the whole lot occurred so rapidly – it was not a sluggish development.

“A number of days later, a CT scan revealed a large tumour on the again of his head which was 4cm by 4cm – it was like a tennis ball. That was a really darkish second for me. I nonetheless have the image in my thoughts of my spouse holding Lucas and them telling us he had a mind tumour.”

After a CT scan revealed the devastating tumour, Lucas was transferred to The Royal Hospital for Youngsters and Younger Individuals in Edinburgh. There he underwent a 10-hour operation to take away the tumour, which was fortunately profitable. David recalled: “His first surgical procedure was simply two days after his prognosis. They managed to take away the whole lot, it was a profitable surgical procedure. Lucas then had chemotherapy for 13 months, after that an MRI was okay – he was clear.”

However, three months after he completed his chemotherapy Lucas relapsed in September 2020. He underwent one other surgical procedure and was transferred to the Christie Hospital, Manchester the place he had two months of proton beam remedy. David stated: “We had hope for a 12 months after which in December 2021 he relapsed once more.

“He had palliative surgical procedure in March 2022 to take away the tumour, once more, that was profitable. After that in January 2023, he had experimental Gamma Knife surgical procedure – a kind of radiotherapy therapy. It is the primary time one thing like that has been accomplished to a four-year-old to cease/delay the expansion for a while.”

Sadly, in June 2023, an MRI scan revealed the tumour was persevering with to develop. There are actually no extra therapy choices left for Lucas and his mother and father are aiming to provide him the perfect life potential.

David added: “There aren’t any extra choices for him, what number of occasions are you able to open his head and have a surgical procedure? In all of his journey, an important factor is to maintain him alive however the unwanted effects are actually tough.

“Lucas is blind in the correct eye and deaf within the left ear. It’s a miracle he has been capable of go to highschool. He has a fantastic sense of humour, it’s unbelievable. You would not consider what he has gone via.”

David described the tumour as a “time bomb” saying Lucas could have a 12 months left to dwell. However he stated it is vital to “benefit from the second” and provides his son a “regular life”. David stated: “It is rather obscure, in some unspecified time in the future you be taught to dwell with uncertainty. It is like having a ticking time bomb, however we wish him to have probably the most regular life potential – it’s all about him.”

Catherine Fraher, director of providers and digital well being at The Mind Tumour Charity, stated: “We’re actually grateful to everybody who shares their – typically heartbreaking – story to lift consciousness of mind tumours. We all know each household offers with a mind tumour prognosis and its aftermath in their very own distinctive method. That is why The Mind Tumour Charity presents assist to anybody who wants it. It is so vital for them to know they aren’t alone.”