A MUM was horrified to learn her two-year-old daughter’s ‘tummy bug’ was a melon-sized tumour, which had grown so large it had forced her lungs into her diaphragm, splitting it open.
Now, little Lottie Woods-John, of Addlestone, Surrey, will spend Christmas Day in hospital after being diagnosed with the rare childhood cancer, neuroblastoma.
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Lottie’s devastated mum, Charlotte Woods, 35, thought herdaughter had caught a nasty virus when they returned from a holiday in Cornwall.
But, when her stomach started to swell, she was rushed to accident and emergency at her local hospital.
There, doctors discovered the tumour and broke the heartbreaking news to Lottie’s parents that her ‘tummy bug’ was actually stage four cancer.
She immediately underwent chemotherapy and, in October, had a 12-and-a-half operation to remove 95 per cent of the tumour.
Unfortunately, it was too risky to remove it all as it was too close to her liver.
She’s now been given a 40 per cent chance of getting through the cancer this time, but there's an 85 per cent change of it returning.
To support her, the family are using a Just Giving fundraising page to pay for an innovative treatment in America.
Charlotte says they need to have the funds in place as the cancer is so fast-growing, if and when it does come back, Lottie can get the cutting-edge treatment she needs straight away as there won’t be time to fundraise.
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Currently in the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton, Surrey, for continuing chemotherapy and round-the-clock care, the family don’t think Lottie will be home for Christmas this year.
“Everyone in the family was so sick that I just thought she had a tummy bug, and for that I will never forgive myself. I’m staying by Lottie’s side, whatever,” says Charlotte, who's also mum to Georgia, 17, and Jack, 15, from a previous relationship.
I thought she had a tummy bug, and for that I will never forgive myself. When she was diagnosed, I vowed to never leave her - and now I sleep by her side every night
Lottie's mum, Charlotte Woods
“When she was diagnosed, I vowed to never leave her - and now I sleep by her side every night.”
Charlotte and her partner David John, 44, an events project manager, found out they were expecting their first child together on New Year’s Eve 2012.
The pair, who met in a gym four years ago, and Lottie was born on August 19, 2013, at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey, weighing a healthy 6lb 6oz.
“She was the most happy and laid back little girl,” her mum continued. “As soon as she could smile, she did. She was relaxed and we could really enjoy her.”
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Charlotte returned to work part-time as an office administrator and the family’s life went on as usual.
Then, in June 2016, Charlotte and David were on holiday in Cornwall with Lottie, leaving the older kids with their uncle.
“My brother Cliff texted me saying Georgia [the eldest child] had a tummy bug,” Charlotte recalled. “She was a teenager, so I thought she would just get over it. Then Jack got sick, too, so when we got back home we thought it was inevitable we’d catch whatever they’d had. ”
Back in Surrey, little Lottie was also struck down with what seemed like the same sickness bug. "She slept all the next day and the poor thing was sick a lot. I thought she was taking a while to get over the bug, but assumed it was a nasty one.”
Eventually, Charlotte took Lottieto the GP, who told her to take the toddlerstraight to casualty at St Peter’s Hospital.
There,doctors did an X-ray and an ultrasound, before delivering the devastating news.
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“As the sonographer was doing the ultrasound I saw a huge black thing,” Charlotte said.
“The sonographer started measuring it and that’s when I knew it wasn’t good. I looked at David and he mouthed ‘what is that?’ and then the tears came streaming down my face.
“I felt like the loneliest woman in the world. Everything I ever knew came crashing down. I knew it was bad. But Lottie is such a brave girl, it’s infectious.
“She knows everyone is trying to make her better. She’s so upbeat, happy and smiley – throughout everything her spirit is high.”
To donate, visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Teamlottie
What is Neuroblastoma?
Neuroblastoma is a rare type of cancer that mostly affects babies and young children. It develops from specialised nerve cells (neuroblasts) left behind from a baby's development in the womb.
It most commonly occurs in one of the adrenal glands situated above the kidneys, or in the nerve tissue that runs alongside the spinal cord in the neck, chest, tummy or pelvis.
The cancer can spread to other organs such as the bone marrow, bone, lymph nodes, liver and skin.
It affects around 100 children each year in the UK and is most common in children under the age of five.
Symptoms can include: a swollen painful tummy, sometimes in association with constipation and difficulty passing urine. breathlessness and difficulty swallowing, a lump in the neck, blueish lumps in the skin and bruising, weakness in the legs and an unsteady walk, with numbness in the lower body, constipation and difficulty passing urine, fatigue, loss of energy, pale skin, loss of appetite and weight loss bone pain, a limp and general irritability
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