Tomas

Tomas was diagnosed with a cancer called neuroblastoma, a solid tumor, when he was a six-year-old in July 2013. His symptoms started with pain in his hip that worsened in couple of weeks. After two weeks of examination, we received the diagnosis and the cytostatic treatment began immediately. After the cytostatic came the surgery, a huge stem-cell-supported treatment, radiation and antibody treatment. With Tomas, all these treatments lasted for a year and three months, and during the treatments Tomas was more or less at the hospital with either one of his parents, depending of the stage of the treatment. 

Tomas has lived in isolation because of the risk of infections for a year and a half, which has meant that he has not been able to go to preschool or school, or to the grocery store, or to have any hobbies. We have not been able to welcome any guests, neither has Tomas been able to visit at anyone else’s home. Tomas has taken this all very well and he has been an unbelievably brave and adapting warrior. 

For us parents and the little brother this has meant that we have had to adjust to Tomas’ treatments, and have had to be continuously worried and on guard about how Tomas feels. Medication, blood samples, days, nights and weeks in the hospital. Moments of happiness when Tomas has felt well. 

In October, at the treatments’ end examination, Tomas’ disease was found to be in remission. We continue to visit the controls every three months. Tomas will start first grade, this time he will actually be attending the school in person.