A Tasmanian baby diagnosed with a cancer which affects just one-in-a-million children is facing months of intensive treatment, as his parents put their lives on hold to give him the best chance of survival.
Harlin Fletcher was just six-and-a-half months old when a slight wheeze prompted his mother Jasmine to take him to hospital on April 20.
Within hours, doctors discovered his left lung had collapsed under pressure from a large amount of fluid, pushing his lung and heart towards the right side of his chest.
A scan revealed a mass in his upper chest and, in the early hours of the following morning, Jasmine and her partner Liam were told their baby had cancer.
“It’s devastating, honestly,” Jasmine told Pulse.
“You don’t think that when you have a child that something like this is going to happen, especially your first-born.”
Doctors initially believed Harlin had neuroblastoma and his family were told he had about a 90% chance of survival.
But biopsy results delivered another blow on May 8, revealing Harlin instead had a malignant rhabdoid tumour – a rare and aggressive childhood cancer.
The survival rate they were given fell to between 10% and 20%.
“We still can’t believe that our 10-month-old is still going through this,” Jasmine said.
Harlin has since endured intensive chemotherapy, multiple scans and procedures and repeated chest drains after fluid accumulated around his lung.
The tumour is shrinking and remains his only known tumour, but its location means doctors cannot remove it surgically.
He is now undergoing radiotherapy five days a week for six weeks, alongside ongoing chemotherapy.
Despite the treatment, Jasmine said Harlin remained a happy and outgoing baby who loved interacting with people.
“He’s the happiest little boy you would honestly ever meet,” she said.
“He actually gets around in his walker on the ward.”
“All the doctors and nurses know him as that kid always in his walker on the ward, because he does not want to sit still.”
Jasmine left her job to care for her son full-time, while Liam put his heavy diesel mechanical apprenticeship on hold to stay with their son in Melbourne.
The family also had to give up their home in Tasmania.
They hope to return in September, after Harlin’s radiation treatment finishes on September 8 and plan to stay between family homes in Glenorchy and Kingston while he continues his treatment and follow-up care.
Jasmine said the family hoped Harlin would be in remission by early next year, but he would require regular scans and medical appointments for five years.
“There is no guarantee that it won’t come back,” she said.
The family launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover travel between Tasmania and Melbourne, fuel, groceries, medical expenses not fully covered and the cost of finding stable housing when they return.
They initially hoped to raise $9,000, but the fundraiser surpassed that target within four days.
“We want to give him the best shot,” Jasmine said.
“We’re grateful already for all the help and support we’ve already gotten in the last four days with this GoFundMe.”
“It’s really nice to see everyone coming together and trying to help our baby.”
