Aidan’s mum Sarah tells the story of her son
Here is Aiden, a 15-year-old gamer, animator and movie lover, as well as a racquet sport player.
In February 2022, our world came crashing down when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a very aggressive and rare bone cancer most commonly found in children. This condition is caused by the overproduction of growth cells, either during growth spurts or after a bone fracture. He began chemotherapy in the March of 22 and underwent major surgery in May to remove his femur and knee, replacing them with an internal metal prosthetic. He continued chemotherapy until the end of October, and we believed his journey was complete, allowing Aiden to focus on walking again.
In July 2023, Aiden started to feel pain in his hip. By this time, he was managing to walk with one crutch and without crutches around the house. He had started playing padel tennis, and life seemed to be returning to normal. However, an MRI revealed cancer in his hip. He underwent surgery to remove the socket and ball joint in the hip, along with the existing metal prosthetic. Aiden was heartbroken to be back at square one. With a new prosthetic in place, we moved forward.
Unfortunately, he developed an infection a week later, leading to a five-week hospital stay. Patience was tested to its limits. Thankfully, no additional chemotherapy was required.
In March 2024, another devastating blow came. A routine X-ray found tumours in his lungs. Further scans confirmed it was cancer. Aiden was scheduled to begin chemotherapy, but the day before treatment was to start, he dislocated his hip, necessitating more surgery and delaying chemo by two weeks. His condition worsened, evident from a new cough. An X-ray confirmed the cancer was aggressive, but chemotherapy proceeded. After five cycles, a CT scan showed no improvement; the chemo had not worked. We faced an incredibly difficult decision on what to do next.
Aiden decided that since chemo was ineffective, we should try something else. We agreed and are now awaiting a trial drug. The potential side effects are daunting, and we are uncertain about the future, but we are desperate for this to work. We need to stabilize his lungs before any surgery can be considered, as there are over 10 tumours in each lung. Despite the grim outlook, we are trying to stay positive, and Aiden’s attitude is to live life to the fullest while he can.
