Going through those five years of hell taught this mom about resiliency and how to get through a crisis.

By Antonia PalmerSeptember 1, 2020

In 2009, my son Nate was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma cancer. Neuroblastoma is a solid tumour cancer of the nerve cells and for Nate, the tumour sat on top of his right kidney with cancer also in 98 percent of his bone marrow. He was only two years old and I was on maternity leave with his five-month-old brother. Nate’s little body was riddled with cancer and would require nearly every treatment available to save him.

Nate underwent intensive chemotherapy, a major surgery, radiation, immunotherapy, and a stem cell transplant that caused pain, barbaric side effects, and left him extremely immune compromised, leading to much time inpatient at the hospital isolated to keep him safe.

Just when we thought we were through the worst of it, Nate relapsed with a brain tumour. We were told that a neuroblastoma relapse in the brain was fatal and that we should take him home and enjoy our last few months. But we refused to give up.

To continue reading this article please visit Today's Parent - How having a child with cancer prepared me for COVID-19.