Four-year-old Houston has been battling a rare form of cancer and now, thankfully, he looks to be through the worst of it! Satan’s Little Helper reckoned that was something to celebrate…
Just a few days before his fourth birthday, Houston Collins was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer called High-Risk Acute Promyelocytic Myeloid Leukaemia (APML).
APML occurs mainly in adults and Houston’s mum, Olivia, was told that usually only “one or two children a year” are diagnosed with it.
After his diagnosis, Houston was confined to an isolation room at Starship Hospital for eight weeks.
“He had every reaction to chemo under the sun,” says Olivia. “He had such a rough time. He has room-bound for two months, lost all of his hair, and couldn’t interact with other kids.
“At times, it was difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Doing its job
Thankfully, Houston responded well to treatment – though since he became an outpatient, his treatment schedule has been pretty gruelling.
“He’s up in Starship most weeks from Monday to Friday,” says Olivia.
It has all taken a huge strain on Houston and the family.
“He was almost in a depressive state for the first six months,” explains Olivia, who had to take leave from her job, which added a financial strain.
When Satan’s Little Helper heard Houston’s story, we wanted to do something to help put a smile on his face. Considering he’s a huge Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan, a full Raphael costume seemed like it might do the trick.
“He loved the costume so much, he put it on straight away and wore the mask to Starship,” says Olivia. “We also got him a pair of fake nunchucks, so he’s got the full shebang now! He took it all to hospital because he loves it so much.”
Outside time
Satan’s Little Helper also sent a gift card to Butterfly Creek, which Olivia says has helped him come out of his shell after eight months of being told to stay away from people because of his compromised immune system!
“When we initially went there, he wasn’t that excited, because he’d been so down for so long but, as soon as we got through the gates, he loved it. All he wanted to do was go back.
“He loves seeing the crocs and alligators. We’ve seen them all so many times now, but he still loves it when we go. He’s also a big fan of the dinosaurs!”
Olivia says they’ve seen a change in Houston since he’s been allowed out and about.
“He’s become a little bit cheeky and he wants to do things and have fun, which is amazing to see!”
Houston’s last round of chemo finished in late May 2023 and in June he was eased back into daycare.
“His transition back to daycare went well and he starts school in October! He has been hitting all his remission milestones and is absolutely thriving now,” says Olivia.
Comments