Sasha Field
Help us to find a cure ...
Fundraising for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity
Story
I have climbed 3800 metres of Mount Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa, and this is why...
My son Marcus was a happy boy. He always had a smile to offer people he met and it was easy to fall in love with his warm, generous character. He was advanced for his age and I think this maturity was to be our saving grace in the years that followed.
Marcus had always been healthy baby and as a toddler he avoided the viruses that circulated the playgroups. However, in the latter part of 2002, Marcus started to complain of stomach pains and his appetite disappeared.
After three hospital visits, five doctors appointments and 12 weeks of misdiagnosis, Marcus was finally diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer. He was just three years old. We had absolutely no idea what neuroblastoma was or what the impact of living with this disease would be. But we soon found out. Marcus was immediately admitted into hospital and put on a course of chemotherapy. It felt as though we had walked into our worst nightmare.
The months to follow were a continuous series of tests, tubes and treatments. The cancer had spread throughout his body and had formed several secondary tumours throughout his bones. The treatment was intensive and the effects were harsh but Marcus stayed positive. I explained the cancer to him in simple terms, as bad cells which the chemotherapy was working hard to get rid of. I assured him that what he was going through was just one of life lessons that he had to learn to make him the strongest, best person he could possibly be. After months of tube feeding and medicines Marcus seemed to be getting better, he gained a little bit of weight and strength. This gave us a renewed sense of hope and a small glimmer of light at the end of a seemingly long, dark tunnel.
However the ups and downs were extreme and we would spend the majority of our time in hospital fighting to keep Marcus well. His immune system was so low due to the chemotherapy that his body couldn't even cope with a common cold. A regular virus would put him into critical care and onto life support. Still, I believed that Marcus would recover and we would be able to put this nightmare behind us.
The months turned into years as we attempted all possible treatments to keep Marcus alive, although the original tumour shrunk, the secondary tumours remained and the outlook became bleak. Eventually, he went into palliative care and was given weeks to live. Marcus died shortly after his 5th birthday.
Anybody would agree that it is unnatural for our children to die so early on in life, especially in such tragic and painful circumstances.
The loss of Marcus has left a massive hole in my heart, one that cannot be filled, but with the help of the incredible work of Sparks and their mission to fund children's medical research, a part of me is able to find some peace of mind and much-needed comfort.
1 in 30 children is born in the UK with a condition that could have serious adverse and sometimes fatal consequences.
Help Sparks find a cure by donating and make children's research possible. Lets protect our children and their families from the devastation and tragedy I experienced.
Every penny that you raise will go directly to our researchers to fund ground breaking research projects.
Please, help us to find a cure...
My son Marcus was a happy boy. He always had a smile to offer people he met and it was easy to fall in love with his warm, generous character. He was advanced for his age and I think this maturity was to be our saving grace in the years that followed.
Marcus had always been healthy baby and as a toddler he avoided the viruses that circulated the playgroups. However, in the latter part of 2002, Marcus started to complain of stomach pains and his appetite disappeared.
After three hospital visits, five doctors appointments and 12 weeks of misdiagnosis, Marcus was finally diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer. He was just three years old. We had absolutely no idea what neuroblastoma was or what the impact of living with this disease would be. But we soon found out. Marcus was immediately admitted into hospital and put on a course of chemotherapy. It felt as though we had walked into our worst nightmare.
The months to follow were a continuous series of tests, tubes and treatments. The cancer had spread throughout his body and had formed several secondary tumours throughout his bones. The treatment was intensive and the effects were harsh but Marcus stayed positive. I explained the cancer to him in simple terms, as bad cells which the chemotherapy was working hard to get rid of. I assured him that what he was going through was just one of life lessons that he had to learn to make him the strongest, best person he could possibly be. After months of tube feeding and medicines Marcus seemed to be getting better, he gained a little bit of weight and strength. This gave us a renewed sense of hope and a small glimmer of light at the end of a seemingly long, dark tunnel.
However the ups and downs were extreme and we would spend the majority of our time in hospital fighting to keep Marcus well. His immune system was so low due to the chemotherapy that his body couldn't even cope with a common cold. A regular virus would put him into critical care and onto life support. Still, I believed that Marcus would recover and we would be able to put this nightmare behind us.
The months turned into years as we attempted all possible treatments to keep Marcus alive, although the original tumour shrunk, the secondary tumours remained and the outlook became bleak. Eventually, he went into palliative care and was given weeks to live. Marcus died shortly after his 5th birthday.
Anybody would agree that it is unnatural for our children to die so early on in life, especially in such tragic and painful circumstances.
The loss of Marcus has left a massive hole in my heart, one that cannot be filled, but with the help of the incredible work of Sparks and their mission to fund children's medical research, a part of me is able to find some peace of mind and much-needed comfort.
1 in 30 children is born in the UK with a condition that could have serious adverse and sometimes fatal consequences.
Help Sparks find a cure by donating and make children's research possible. Lets protect our children and their families from the devastation and tragedy I experienced.
Every penny that you raise will go directly to our researchers to fund ground breaking research projects.
Please, help us to find a cure...