A mother searched out an expert opinion after she had suspicions that her daughter was severely ill.
Two parents from Gladstone, Australia, were left scratching their heads as no doctors could tell them exactly what was wrong with their three-year-old daughter, Alice Morley.
The mom and dad noticed that their daughter’s eye was looking droopy and would regularly be swollen, causing them concern for her health.
“We kind of see a few health professionals in Gladstone, where we used to live and nothing was found. No one could pinpoint the problem,” Alice’s mother, Sian Morley told Nine News.
The family then went to Brisbane to see a specialist as Sian was not convinced. The specialist was then able to confirm that Alice actually had a type of cancer, orbital rhabdomyosarcoma.
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"I did not know what that was. In my head it wasn't even cancer at that point, no one had used the 'C' word,” Sian said after hearing the medical term.
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a soft tissue cancer which can grow anywhere in the body. In Alice's case, it was a tumour behind her eye.
After this, Alice immediately began treatment and had to endure six months of chemotherapy and 28 rounds of radiation.
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She was eventually given the all clear and the family hoped life would get back to normal and even planned a family holiday for Christmas.
However, in 2022 Alice’s eye began to change again, forcing her parents to act and take her back to doctors.
Doctors confirmed that the tumor this time around was threatening her life and the only option to ensure she was completely cancer free was to remove her eye and eyelid. A decision that her parents did not take lightly.
"If we want our daughter to be cancer free - not living on chemo - then yep, they have to take her eye and we have to make sure this cancer is gone and doesn't come back," Sian said.
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Alice’s father James, added: "That was I think the worst moment of the whole process, because it's the first time it's been so concrete that it's a lifelong impact."
The pair also noted while Alice, now six years old, remains in high spirits, she isn’t yet old enough to understand the seriousness of the situation or the life-long impacts.
Her parents remain optimistic and even met with child author and illustrator Angus Olsen, who immortalized Alice in print for his book designed to help children deal with their cancer diagnosis.
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If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
Gerrard Kaonga