While school is often an exciting time for preps, Bundoora’s Willow Lawton started her first day marking a new chapter in her life after spending roughly 500 nights in a hospital.
In 2021 Willow’s mother Kirsty Lawton started to notice a limp, thinking her daughter’s symptoms might be typical two-year-old behaviour.
But it became real too quickly once Willow’s conditions showed no signs of improvement.
A series of blood tests and scans revealed cancer had spread to her bones and lymph nodes, leading to a diagnosis of stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma.
“It was a shock to us all, and I suppose the oncologist at the time … always has been all the way through quite optimistic that we can cure her, and we have, but it was such a hard rope to get here,” Ms Lawton said.
“I think we presented to emergency around 34 times with a fever, and that meant a readmission each time.”
The road to remission was a tough one, spending roughly 489 nights in hospital, five rounds of chemotherapy and several scans. While Willow’s primary tumour was shrinking, her bone disease was progressively getting worse.
Willow was in need of a nine-hour surgery to remove one of her adrenal glands where the tumour was located. During her treatment, Willow was on fluid feeds only for four months and was on full gut rest as her body couldn’t tolerate anything.
Amidst the hospital visits, Ms Lawton found support in the Starlight Foundation, which provided craft packs to keep Willow entertained. The family now actively supports the foundation, specifically the foundation’s Starlight Super Swim.
“Willow loves them [the Starlight Foundation], so every time we go to the hospital she begs to go and visit them … they give her the royal welcome when she comes in,” Ms Lawton said.
Now age five, Ms Lawton said Willow was in a good place.
“She embraces everyday, and like little things, we live in a three-storey townhouse, now she can actually walk up the stairs with both legs, one in front of the other. Whereas 12-months ago she couldn’t do that, so her body is getting stronger, and stronger,” she said.
Willow’s family is sharing her story in support of the Starlight Foundation’s Super Swim Challenge. Super Swim encourages swimming during February and raises $5 million to bring joy to sick kids in hospital.
Details: https://superswim.org.au/
