Caroline Chung’s son Liam Jones, 14, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma after initially displaying symptoms of fatigue and a dry cough
One mum is sounding the alarm for parents to trust their instincts about their kids’ health after she second-guessed her son’s initial diagnosis. Caroline Chung’s son, Liam Jones, began experiencing fatigue and a persistent dry cough, symptoms commonly associated with whooping cough.
The 39-year-old was sure her son had contracted the illness, convinced by the “signs and people were saying to me that it would just be the 100-day cough”. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something more “sinister” was at play. Reflecting on the situation, Caroline confessed: “I suppose it was denial, I didn’t want to think the worst.”
Upon finding a lump on his collarbone, which added to his ongoing symptoms, the concerned mother took him for medical tests. An ultrasound and x-ray revealed his stage two Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, leading to an urgent ambulance ride to Alder Hay Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. Despite the grim nature of such news, the diagnosis has brought a sense of relief to Caroline.
The courageous single mum expressed relief and hope as she recounted her son’s cancer battle: “It was stage two so it’s treatable and that was kind of a relief. To hear those words that it was curable and that it wasn’t terminal was just music to my ears. I knew it would be a journey and that it wouldn’t be nice, but I knew he was going to survive. That was the best thing I could have heard.”
Teen Liam is in the midst of chemotherapy treatment with the prospect of radiotherapy ahead, contingent on his response to treatment. Him, his little sister Olivia, and their mum have temporarily relocated from Cheshire to a friend’s place near the hospital where Liam’s treatments are being administered.
Humming with pride for how her son has handled his illness, the mum expresses admiration over his strength, saying he courageously accepted that this is his story. After shedding initial tears post-diagnosis, she reveals he hasnt cried since and has scarcely complained.
Unfortunately, this brave mother is up against more than just health concerns; running a hair and beauty salon and being self-employed, shes now confronted with financial worries, having had no choice but to cease work and depend on a Go Fund Me page to make ends meet for her family. Taking the leap to stop working was a frightening leap made out of necessity due to potential risks to her son as his immune system becomes compromised by treatment.
Understanding the harsh realities of her situation, she said, “I have to use physical contact for work, so when his immune system starts deteriorating I won’t be able to touch clients and then go home. You never think in a million years that this will happen to you and you don’t prepare for it.”
