Little Lola Ross had a smile that might brighten up any room. Her candy, barely crooked smile was one in all her distinguishing options but it surely was additionally the primary refined signal of a really uncommon and aggressive mind tumour.
Wholesome and Blissful Child
Lola was pleased, wholesome smiley and bubbly and cherished being round her siblings – Toby, 11, and Maya, 7. She was hitting all her milestones and the household had been lapping up the primary 12 months with little Lola. Lola was 10 months previous when her mother and father, Naomi and Aaron, seen their child woman wasn’t herself. She was vomiting with excessive fevers.
At first, they assumed it was only a daycare bug however when the child didn’t appear to be getting higher and Naomi seen Lola appeared a bit “clean”, they took Lola to the hospital.
‘Didn’t Put in Right down to Something Sinister’
Whereas being checked out by medical doctors, one of many medical doctors questioned Naomi about Lola’s crooked smile. It was one thing Naomi and Aaron had at all times seen of their daughter however didn’t assume it might be something harmful. She shared:
“We sort of made little jokes about it and laughed, however we didn’t put it all the way down to being something sinister. “We by no means imagined something like this might ever occur to us.”
Whereas in hospital Naomi additionally seen that Lola wasn’t utilizing her left arm as a lot. As a substitute, she was favouring the best arm which they thought was a bit unusual.
Medical doctors paired the crooked smile with Lola not utilizing her left arm and ran varied exams.
Lola’s CT scan confirmed a darkish mass on Lola’s mind. The subsequent day she underwent an 8-hour surgical procedure to take away the mass and decide the subsequent steps.
“We simply had a sense that one thing wasn’t proper when the medical doctors and nurses had been speaking behind a window and had been taking some time to come back out. By this level it was fairly late at night time after which an entire workforce of medical doctors entered the room. We knew then it wasn’t good.
Then they merely advised us ‘we discovered one thing’. Our hearts sank,”Aaron mentioned.
Mind Tumour the Dimension of a Mandarin
Sadly, a biopsy confirmed that the mass was a mind tumour the scale of a mandarin. Lola was identified with an embryonal tumour with multilayered rosettes (ETMR), a really uncommon and aggressive mind most cancers that has a really excessive probability of regrowth with no focused therapy protocol.
Simply earlier than her first birthday, Lola started chemotherapy therapy. The courageous little woman underwent three rounds of high-dose chemotherapy whereas her household centered on making the times as snug and pleased as doable for his or her little woman.
Sadly a follow-up scan revealed that the chemotherapy was not profitable and he or she would wish a second operation, extra chemotherapy and extra radiation.
On Christmas Eve, Lola acquired her closing therapy of radiation and returned dwelling to rejoice what could be her final Christmas along with her household.
“We didn’t know what was going to occur. We simply tried to maintain it as mild and loving as we might … but it surely was actually onerous seeing her get so sick.”
Lola’s Last Weeks
The New Yr introduced extra heartbreak as check outcomes confirmed that the mind tumour was terminal. There was nothing extra they may do. There have been no extra choices, no therapies left to attempt to no method of understanding how lengthy Lola had left. Medical doctors thought it is likely to be six months however Lola handed six weeks after that closing devastating analysis.
“We didn’t get up understanding it was the final day,” Naomi mentioned. “However she deteriorated rapidly. She wasn’t actually responding and her respiration was laboured. Our nurse agreed it was solely a matter of hours.
“All of us sat on our mattress collectively and cuddled. We sang some songs and talked to her. She was surrounded by love.”
She handed away peacefully at dwelling, surrounded by her household on March 26 2022. She was 20 months previous.
Elevating Consciousness for Mind Most cancers
Childhood most cancers can come on with little to no warnings in any respect.
“We’re simply extraordinary folks residing our lives,” Naomi mentioned. “You hear about dangerous issues occurring on the earth, you simply don’t anticipate it would occur to you. It actually adjustments the trail of your life. It adjustments you to the core.”
There isn’t a larger loss than that of a kid and our hearts break for Naomi, Aaron and each different father or mother who has needed to undergo this or one thing related.
Naomi and Aaron are sharing Lola’s courageous battle to maintain her reminiscence alive and lift consciousness of childhood most cancers, particularly ETMR.
“Whereas we couldn’t save Lola, we hope to nonetheless make a distinction by elevating consciousness and donations. We hope someday most cancers is one thing no households will ever need to undergo.”
Lola’s household are sharing their story in help of Kids Most cancers Institute’s Christmas enchantment. You possibly can donate right here.
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