Evan’s Story
“He was so brave and full of joy. He always got on with it; never moaning and just facing up to everything with a sense of humour.”
Sarah, Evan’s mum
“My son Evan was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer in 2010, aged only 8.
He was also so brave and full of joy. He always got on with it; never moaning and just facing up to everything with a sense of humour.
It was Christmas Eve 2010 when Evan was diagnosed with the liver cancer Hepatoblastoma. It’s incredibly rare, with only eight children diagnosed every year, mostly under the age of 5. It accounts for only one per cent of all childhood cancers.
Earlier that month he’d complained of an ache in his shoulder, but there was no sign it was anything to worry about, He woke up the next morning feeling better so went to school as normal, but then I received a phone call saying he in pain so we went straight to Addenbrooke’s. At first, the doctors suspected appendicitis but soon realised it was something much more severe. I remember the doctor saying there's been a complication and they’d found a mass on his liver.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My first reaction was he’s only got one of those and I’ve only got one of him, and then I started blaming myself, wondering why I hadn’t noticed something earlier. Evan underwent six gruelling rounds of chemotherapy and a nine-hour operation to resect the liver.
After six rounds of chemo, doctors confirmed Evan was in remission.
We had four years of fun and frolics; we raised money, swam with dolphins, went to Florida, and just had a great time. Life was good. Evan felt happy and healthy, and we looked forward to a brighter future. The three-monthly hospital check-ups had become six-monthly check-ups, and were just about to switch to once every year, but then in April came the news they’d been dreading: the cancer had returned. But this time it had come back in his lungs, and unfortunately, right across the middle of the lungs so surgery was limited. The treatment proved trickier; the first lot of chemo didn’t prove as effective, and then we were told there was no more they could do.
Ev passed away on 13th May 2016 having given everything he had. Since losing him I've realised how precious life is, and think about him every day.”