Tawhai is very cheeky. He is OBSESSED with anything electrical. He says he wants to be an electrician when he is older. He loves fans and lights. He wants to know how they work and if they are broken, he wants to figure out how to fix them. The typical 4-year-old boy stuff makes him laugh like farts, poop, and tickles.
Tawhai was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma in September of 2021. He had recently fallen over while away camping and hurt his back and leg (that’s what we thought) and he had a lump on his calf which we put down to falling over. We went to the doctors, who then sent us to a specialist, which led us to be admitted to the hospital for an MRI. Then we were flown 1000 km away from home to Brisbane for a biopsy which confirmed he had cancer.
Tawhai is doing one year of chemotherapy, then six months plus of maintenance therapy. He will have radiation in between chemo sessions and/or surgery. Due to his treatment(s) he tires easily.
Cancer has changed our lives significantly. We moved over 1000 km from our hometown in Moranbah, to Brisbane. Tawhai has had to stop Kindy and postpone the first year of school next year. Our 7-year-old daughter has had to move to schools as well. I have had to quit my job and my husband has to do fly in and out for work so he will be away for half the year. We have had to move away from family and friends to somewhere we know no one.
Tawhai’s cancer is an aggressive cancer of the soft tissue. His primary site is in his calf with bone marrow and lymph node involvement. It has traveled to his thigh and his spine. He has been given less than 30% chance of beating this but we know he will.
Hope Session by Princess Pea Images