The cancer battle fuelling a Perth mum’s fundraising mission
All it took was one photo for Perth mother Emily Cross to realize something was wrong with her little boy.
He never thought the white reflection in his then-one-year-old son Peter’s eye would turn into a rare eye cancer that affects one in 15,000 births each year in Western Australia.
Peter is undergoing chemotherapy at 16 months old and is still at risk of losing his eye due to the disease.
“We saw this white reflection in the pupil and thought something was wrong here,” Cross said..
Peter was referred to the ophthalmology center at Perth Children’s Hospital in January, where an examination while under anesthesia revealed he had non-hereditary retinoblastoma.
About three or four cases of retinoblastoma are diagnosed in WA each year, and it usually affects children under five years of age. The disease can be fatal if left untreated, but new treatments and early intervention are lifesaving.
Peter was diagnosed with Stage D retinoblastoma due to the tumor’s location on his retina as opposed to its size.
Treatment options range from whole body chemotherapy, intravitreal chemotherapy (injection directly into the eye), arterial chemotherapy (injection into the artery), and enucleation (removal of the eye).
“Two days every month, Peter receives systemic chemotherapy to make sure he doesn’t go unnoticed and that no seeds get into his system,” Cross said.
“He had his fifth cycle last week and will have another one in June.”
As a result of the treatment, Peter’s tumor caused his retina to detach, which Cross said may mean that enucleation is back on the table as a treatment option.
“Unfortunately, one of the consequences of the location of the tumor was that it created a hole in his retina, and that was two months ago,” he said.
“At last check it appears his retina was slightly detached which means that while the overall treatment is going really well mechanically there are difficulties with his eye which means they may have to discuss enucleation.
“It’s pretty heartbreaking. But because we caught things early, I think we should have gone down that route of enucleation, whether it’s in the next month or so, I think she should be able to live a relatively normal life.”
Peter’s diagnosis led Cross to decide to participate in the HBF Run For A Reason on Sunday.
“We had never heard of retinoblastoma before, it wasn’t something we even knew we needed to look for, which is part of why I’m committed to doing this run for a reason: to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of retinoblastoma,” she said.
Symptoms of the disease include a white reflex in the pupil or a rolling eye.
“Peter also had some amblyopia, one of the symptoms of cancer. So I signed up to raise awareness about this, share Peter’s story and also donate to the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation,” Cross said.
He has raised $8724 for the foundation so far, placing it in the top three individual fundraisers across WA.
Cross signed up for the 12-kilometer leg of the event and said he would be thinking about his son the entire distance.
“I actually think it’s going to be a little bit emotional. It’s been very motivating for Peter to do this and it’s been an incredible educational experience,” he said.
“I think about it often when I’m doing long training runs, like I have to do this for Peter.”
HBF chief executive Lachlan Henderson said the event had raised more than $15 million for health and community organizations in Western Australia since its inception in 2010.
“This case brings to light many important stories,” he said.
“The commitment and generosity displayed each year demonstrates the strength of the WA community.”
Cross encourages all parents to trust their instincts when they sense something is wrong with their child.
“If you see something in your child, get it checked out because I think early intervention, the fact that we got Peter in for a checkup, is so critical,” he said.
The HBF Run for a Reason starts at the corner of Hay Street and William Street and ends at Gloucester Park on May 24.
