BRAVE SIX YEAR OLD FACING UP TO LIFE-THREATENING HEALTH CHALLENGES
Sophie is battling neuroblastoma and has endured challenging times in her short years but that hasn’t stopped the tiny six year old becoming one of 19 ambassadors for the Woolworths Regional Wall Tokens campaign.
Sophie is asking for your help. By purchasing a $2 wall token from now until the end of September, you are helping fund equipment and programs in your local hospital, which help families like Sophie’s through an emotional, stressful, and at times uncertain journey.
Sophie was diagnosed on 10 May 2014; the disease had spread through every bone and had essentially taken over her bone marrow,” Sophie’s Mum Kimberley explained.
Sophie has just a 40 to 50 per cent chance of survival. Her little body has endured six cycles of chemotherapy, scans, pain medication, several central lines and nasal gastric tubes inserted, plus a biopsy to find out more about her cancer.
“This biopsy was examined locally and sent to the Tumour Bank to access worldwide information about her particular cancer,” Kimberley recalled.
During the initial chemotherapy, Sophie’s weight dropped to 14kg and Sophie stopped talking. Doctors and nurses assured Sophie’s parents that she just needed time to process what was happening to her.
“One of the turning points at this time was meeting music therapist Dave. Sophie responded really well to music therapy and through Dave’s care through music, Sophie finally started to talk.
The months following Sophie’s diagnosis involved major surgeries, the removal of tumours near her kidney, around her lower spine, and all around her adrenal gland. She also had her right kidney removed.
“By the time these operations were undertaken the tumours were pushing out of her bone marrow trying to escape and they were everywhere,” Simon said.
“Thankfully, the tumours had not spread into her spinal cord. This was important as it allowed her to then have a bone marrow transplant.”
Sophie’s bone marrow transplant coincided with the opening of the new Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital.
Sophie was the first ever patient of Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital and was captured by media leaving the old hospital by ambulance and arriving at the new one.
Close to eight months after Sophie was first admitted to hospital – and following chemotherapy, radiation, a bone marrow transplant, and immunotherapy – she was able to return home, just in time for Christmas.
Sophie has suffered side effects from the treatments including hearing loss, anxiety and intellectual development delays, but is a happy six-year-old attending school and visiting Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital every four months for ongoing check-ups.
The courage and determination of Sophie and young people like her put the world we live in and the life we enjoy in sharp contrast.
