Mason Payne, from Eccles, Greater Manchester, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in November 2023 after his mum Lauren took him to A&E
Mason Payne’s persistent leg pain had his mum, Lauren, deeply concerned for weeks. But despite doctors initially dismissing it as growing pains, the situation reached a critical point one November night in 2023, prompting an urgent trip to A&E.
Initially worried about sepsis, the medical team performed blood tests and directed them to Manchester Children’s Hospital hours later. The following bloodwork brought a harrowing revelation – Mason was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL).
Shaken by the news, Lauren said: “We were shocked. It just shattered my world, I couldn’t believe it. My little boy has that? It just can’t be possible.
“The doctors were talking to me, but I was just zoning out. You hear the word leukaemia, and you think – what are his chances of beating it?” ALL is an aggressive blood cancer arising from white blood cells in the bone marrow, predominantly found in young people.
Eight-year-old Mason, from Eccles, braved six weeks of intense treatments, including chemotherapy and steroids, reports the Manchester Evening News. Reflecting on the ordeal, mother-of-three Lauren acknowledges the missed signs: Mason’s weight loss, his pallid skin, and his loss of appetite.
“Around October 2023 time, he had these pains in his legs, always around his knees, in both legs,” she recounted. Frustration arose when initial medical advice did not match her concerns: “At this point, I took him to the doctors and they would fob me off, saying he does a lot of sports and it was probably growing pains.
“Getting towards November, there was one night where he was inconsolable. Nothing was fixing it – hot water bottles, etc. I knew something wasn’t right. I got him into A&E straight away.”
The subsequent trip to the hospital brought alarming news: “At first, they said it could be sepsis. They did blood tests, came back to me and said it looked like he could have sepsis. I was like, what? They said we need to go straight to Manchester Children’s Hospital.”
As the reality set in, she described the devastating diagnosis and the urgent care that followed: “The next minute, me and his dad were around him, caring for him. He still had pain and at this point he was in agony with it. Then they took us into another room and told us he had ALL.
“It was an absolute whirlwind from there. He was taken straight to the cancer ward. Six weeks of fitting cannulas, giving him his first round of chemo and steroids. It’s turned our lives upside down so much.”
She reflected on the signs that were dismissed too readily by healthcare providers: “I knew I was being fobbed off by the doctors. He was losing a lot of weight around that time. He went off his food. You think, oh, he must not be feeling too good. His legs are killing from playing sports.”
Her maternal instinct had sounded alarm bells: “He was a yellowy colour. I kept saying to everyone, ‘he’s looking a bit yellow’.”
Lauren, a former school welfare assistant who left her job to look after her son Mason, has spoken out about the devastating impact of his cancer journey, particularly the pain of witnessing other children’s struggles on the cancer ward. “Seeing children on the ward who weren’t going to be going home was heart-wrenching,” she confessed.
The emotional and physical toll on her has been immense: “It’s taken its toll. I’ve had people telling me I’m doing amazing, but it’s just hitting me now, a year and a bit in. My body is drained. I’m poorly all the time at the moment; all the stress is hitting me.”
She also touched on the connections made with others in similar situations: “I’ve made friends with people who have lost children. I just want to put awareness out there about how crippling this is for families.”
Thankfully, Mason is currently in remission, yet his battle continues. The Christchurch Primary School student still faces chemotherapy every three weeks, regular lumbar punctures, and daily medication at home.
The family is eagerly anticipating the day he can ring the bell signifying the end of his cancer treatment. Lauren remains hopeful, saying, “He’s looking good now,” and “He’s just had a bone marrow test so we’ll find out next week what his counts are at.”
Despite feeling blessed by his progress, she admits, “I feel blessed that he’s been able to overcome these challenges, but it’s just heart-breaking that he’s even had to endure this. It’s unexplainable.”