YOUNG Riley Pattison is one in a million.
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Diagnosed with a condition present in only a handful of Australian children in the past decade, Riley had the odds stacked against him.
Sydney paediatric surgeon Albert Shun was flown over in May to complete the four-hour operation to remove the tumour which claimed 25 per cent of his liver.
But as he approaches his third birthday, Riley’s got an extra reason to smile; he’s in remission.
Riley was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a form of children’s liver cancer and underwent chemotherapy and surgery to beat it.
While he’ll have checkups every three months to make sure he’s still in the clear, parents Dain and Emma are quietly celebrating.
“He basically lived on the couch or in hospital beds for months so now he can’t get enough of running around outside,” his mother Ms Richings said.
“It’s perfect timing as the weather gets better – he chases the dog around all day.
“We’ve had about five or six weeks of normality now so things are just getting back to normal.
“Two months into his treatment I found out I was pregnant – I’m due in about four weeks so things are going to get hectic again.”
The young family is now focused on spending quality time together.
“He comes into our bedroom every morning to wake us up and he always has a big smile on his face,” Ms Richings said.
“The only time he cries now is when he falls over while running around.”
Twice Riley had to learn to walk again after the treatment for his tumour degraded the nerve endings in his legs and knees.
“His legs get tired easily and his feet go sort of floppy so he falls sometimes but he’s getting better,” Ms Richings said.
After losing his long, blonde hair during chemo, Riley’s hair has just started to grow back.
“It’s taken about six weeks for it to really start growing back – now when we’re at the shops I know people aren’t looking at us and knowing he’s been so sick,” Mr Pattison said.
Ms Richings said she and Mr Pattison couldn’t have got through the ordeal without support from their families, friends, staff at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children ward 3B and Telethon.
“We’re indescribably happy that he’s made it through to his third birthday – he’s been so strong, smiling as best he can the whole way through,” Mr Pattison said.
“We feel extremely lucky and grateful that he’s still with us.
“We also want to get people to realise that children with leukaemia often have treatments that run for over three years and they have it tougher than most, and tougher than Riley did in some ways.
“Please donate to PMH ward 3B and Telethon, they are incredible organisations.”
