Bobby’s brave journey to ringing the bell
2024-09-01
Bobby undergoing treatment as a two-year-old
When Bobby rang the bell last year at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick - after two years of gruelling cancer treatment - he had his four siblings, his parents and an extended family of cousins, aunties and uncles visiting from Ireland to cheer him on.
Taking place during the week of the wedding of his parents, Colin and Vanessa, Bobby’s bell ringing was the triumphant moment his entire family could take a breath after years of harrowing treatments.
“It was a huge celebration to celebrate that he was finally cancer-free,” says mum Vanessa proudly.
Bobby, four, the youngest in a blended family of four children including Charlie, 12, Ava Rose, 12, Eddie, 10 and Will, 8, was a bundle of energy - playing with his siblings and indulging in his favourite toys like Monster Trucks and Spider-Man - when his world turned upside down shortly after his second birthday.
It began with subtle signs - unexplained bruises on his legs, a persistent fever and a sudden loss of appetite. He grazed his toe, and the bleeding just wouldn’t stop, prompting Vanessa to seek medical advice during COVID restrictions.
A telehealth call with their GP quickly escalated to a trip to the hospital where Bobby underwent tests revealing the devastating news - he had T-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL). Overnight, the family was plunged into a blurred nightmare of surgeries, chemotherapy and hospital stays.
For Bobby, it meant immediate surgery, where they put in a central line to his chest which resulted in several blood transfusions. The strain on the family was immense. Vanessa had to leave her job and Colin was forced to resign.
“During COVID they had a rule, one parent at a time, so Colin and I would have 20 minutes each and pass each other. It was awful. His siblings didn’t see Bobby for months at a time. It was extremely hard. He was that five percent kid that would get everything.”
Among the complications were focal seizures, a life-threatening 12cm blood clot in his brain and injections into his thigh every 12 hours to thin his blood. Twice he stopped walking. He was in a wheelchair for nearly six months as his legs broke in two places and he had to learn how to crawl again.
Yet amidst the despair, moments of light shone through - Bobby’s unwavering spirit and visits from his brothers and sisters where they would just “love and cuddle him”.
Today, Bobby’s laughter fills the house once more. He’s catching up on missed milestones and has a new furry friend by his side, The Kids’ Cancer Project’s Ollie Puppy, that he calls Big Row Row.
“He’s bossing all his older brothers and sisters around like nothing’s happened,” smiles Vanessa. “He starts school next year, but he’s super delayed. We’re just playing catch up now.”
His future remains uncertain, marked by regular monthly check-ups and the lingering possibility of a relapse. Yet through it all, the family holds on to hope, buoyed by love and just so grateful for all the little things.
“I’m so grateful Bobby’s still here, and we’re still a family. And these little things that Bobby gets to do are just extra special now, because we know what could have happened, and his little life could have been taken away from us.”
