Yahoo News Boy's sore arm turns out to be bone cancer
For weeks weeks last year, Susy Vulich’s son Remi had been intermittently complaining of a sore arm.
So the concerned mother, who is also a nurse, took her little boy, then five, off to the GP to see what could be causing the problem.
A series of tests were carried out, including an ultrasound and x-ray which revealed her son had a type of bone cancer called Osteosarcoma.
That shocking diagnosis was the beginning of a difficult journey for the young Melbourne boy, who is now in grade one, and his family.
“Within an hour or so your life is turned upside down,” the mother said.
Remi began chemotherapy and had major surgery.
“In an eight-hour operation surgeons removed his humerus, where the tumour was located, and replaced it with his left fibula,” his mother recalled.
He was cleared into remission, but in July this year a scan showed he had relapsed and had lung metastasis.
“They consider that quite a quick relapse,” Mrs Vulich explained.
Again, the young boy had major surgery, but after five days in hospital he was back home and on day seven he was back at school.
“He’s a fighter. He’s such a resilient kid,” his mother said.
But sadly just 10 weeks later two mediastinal masses were discovered on the outside of his lung.
“It’s terrible…Something just as simple as a sore arm can turn into this,” Mrs Vulich said.
The mother says they cherish every moment, and always did.
“He keeps us going because he’s very full of life,” his mother said.
Now, Mrs Vulich’s niece has organised a GoFundMe page to make one of the young boy’s wishes to come true, after hearing the seven-year-old has asked his mum if he could go to Paris and climb the Eiffel Tower.
The grade one student learns French at school and his mother says he is “quite worldly”.
“I thought, ‘I wish I could just book a ticket and take you there tomorrow’,” Remi’s mother recalled.
At the moment the little boy is completing two cycles of chemotherapy, then he will have a scan in December to check on his progress.
His family is hoping they can take the little boy in his dream trip at the end of March.
“We adore Remi, he is our cousin, a son, a brother, a nephew, a grandson and a friend and with your support and prayers at this difficult time we are sure to help,” the GoFundMe page says.
“Remi, you are an inspiration to us and to everyone around you.”
The family is gobsmacked by the support they have received so far, saying it is not easy to accept this kind of support but they are incredibly grateful for those who have opened their hearts to them already.
