“Just like, I fell to the ground after I got off the phone and I just hugged her for like five minutes."
Cancer is a heartbreaking struggle for patients and caregivers alike. But when the one diagnosed with cancer is a newborn, the struggle is manifold. The pain of the caregivers is unbearable as they not only see the child in pain but also acknowledge how that disease and treatment rob away their days of just being kids.
In 2017, just 4 months after Molly Hughes was born, doctors diagnosed her with a rare form of cancer called neuroblastoma. It soon developed into stage 4 cancer, which left her with no choice but to endure multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation at such a young age. Her treatment kept her in hospitals more than she could be in her own home.
Constant treatment meant she had to give up her life and move into the hospital for a prolonged period, according to CNN. “I don’t think people realize, until you actually go through it, just how hard it is,” her mother, Chelsea Hughes said, according to Goodfullness.
But she braved through it all. “She would just bounce back after every treatment. I mean she would knock her down for few days and then she would be at playing again,” said Chelsea. The ever-supportive family created the hashtag #MollyStrong, to show support for the tot and create a positive social media presence in her name.
Once someone is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, it's usually hard to beat it. But not Molly! Amazingly, after months and months of treatment, Molly finally managed to beat stage 4 cancer, with doctors giving her the all-clear! Chelsea still remembers the moment she got a call from the doctors, telling her that her daughter was in remission.
“Just like, I fell to the ground after I got off the phone and I just hugged her for like five minutes,” she said. The mother then went on to talk about the power of praying. “I believe that’s what helped her get through all this. With all the prayers she’s heard and which I can’t thank everyone enough for.”
According to research, neuroblastoma is the most common type of cancer in children under the age of 1 and is responsible for a significant portion of childhood cancers. There is often confusion over this type of cancer because of the name. It is not brain cancer; rather it is a solid cancerous tumor that is outside of the brain. The symptoms can include abdominal tenderness and pain, constipation, weakness, irritability, fevers, and anemia or bruising from low blood counts, and about 50% of those who are diagnosed don't make it to the end.
We can only say that little girl Molly is one heck of a fighter!
References:
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/05/us/toddler-beats-stage-four-cancer-trnd/index.html
https://goodfullness.com/21-month-old-girl-celebrates-after-beating-stage-4-cancer/
Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | MmeEmil
