Being 4 years old should be fun. Playing and games should be the norm, not doctors visits and hospitals.
It wasn’t long after Matteo’s 4th birthday that he started getting sick. Very sick.
His Mom knew something was wrong, but doctors, pediatricians, nor the hospital could find anything wrong. His belly still hurt. An ultrasound was done, and he was sent home from the hospital. They were back the next day as he was dehydrated. IVs. More tests. Multiple phone calls to multiple doctors. Stomach aches, crying, puking, no sleep. X-rays, bloodwork, urgent care visits both in Chatham and London.
Finally, one doctor said: “These could be signs and symptoms of a brain tumour”. A CT scan was ordered. It was going to take 5-7 days and Matteo’s Mom, Bianca, couldn’t wait any more. It had been almost a month since the first symptoms had appeared and Matteo was in pain. At the hospital the doctor on call wanted a second opinion to discharge them (again) but Bianca and Dad, Chad, stood their ground and told the doctor: “We came, we want a CT scan, and we are not leaving without one”.
The CT scan took place at around midnight. Around 3am they were told: “I’m sorry. We have found a 2cm tumour in Matteo’s brain”. Suddenly, things started moving quicky. Very quickly. So quickly that by the time they had signed the last consent form they had just enough time to kiss the top of Matteo’s head and walk him down the hallway into surgery.
The tumour was 2cm wide, but 6cm long. The surgeons managed to remove most of it. Pathology confirmed it was medulloblastoma, a very aggressive brain cancer. To be sure that there were no residual cancer cells left, Matteo would start chemo. The family have been told that the cancer has since progressed and it’s now a question of seeing how Matteo reacts to the medicine.
When I chatted to Bianca as she was telling me their story, I could hear Matteo playing in the background. Bianca told me, “It feels good to hear him chat and see him play. Especially as tomorrow he starts his 3rd cycle of chemo. He is responding to it”. Matteo loves Spiderman and Bart Simpson. Playing will get him through the treatments. Childcan will help his family too.
“Renee is so comforting. Meal Vouchers. Parking. The Care Package. It’s all been very, very helpful. We appreciate it more than anything. It’s been crazy. And expensive. Even to eat, especially as Matteo won’t eat hospital food. He won’t even let me take the lid off”.
Matteo and his family should be thinking about starting school. Instead, his family are thinking about the next round of treatments in Toronto. Thanks to the support from generous donors, Childcan will be able to help them with some of the costs associated with that too. Giving the family one less thing to worry about.
This generous family have also registered for the Childcan Pyjama Walk in September. “We won’t be able to be there as we will be in Toronto for Matteo’s treatments, but we want to encourage others to give so that Childcan can help other families.”
We are so grateful to Bianca for sharing Matteo’s story. We hope that Matteo is playing again soon and not in a hospital. In the meantime, his Mom wants everyone to know: #MatteoIsAHero.
Update, September 2024: We are deeply saddened to learn that Matteo has passed. We remain here for Matteo’s family.