A Queensland baby born just eight weeks ago is undergoing chemotherapy after he was diagnosed with a rare cancer while still in his mother’s womb.
Jasper Hill’s life-threatening condition was identified by specialists at Brisbane’s Mater Mothers’ Hospital two weeks before he was born, when scans showed a 7cm neuroblastoma tumour growing on his spine.
Neuroblastoma is a cancer that occurs in early nerve cells and affects around one in every 8,000 babies.
While initially devastated by their son’s illness, parents Lauren and Jaiger Hill say the early diagnosis has given him the best possible chance of beating the cancer.
The couple, from Worongary on the Gold Coast, first realised something was wrong when doctors at Gold Coast University Hospital spotted a suspicious mass during a 35-week scan.
Mrs Hill was referred to the Mater Centre for Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) at Mater Mother’s Hospital and placed under the treatment of MFM Director Dr Glenn Gardener.
Within days, a fetal scan had confirmed the type, size and location of the growth.
“We had lots of meetings with Dr Gardener and Mater’s neonatology and neurosurgery teams, as well as the oncology team from Queensland Children’s Hospital,” Mrs Hill, 33, said.
“Meeting the team at Mater was amazing and reassuring.
“Dr Gardener came to the Gold Coast and advocated for us to deliver Jasper in Brisbane, so he would
be close to Mater’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as well as Queensland Children’s Hospital – we knew we were in the right hands from then.
“Being able to know and understand all the possibilities of what could happen to Jasper after he was born was helpful.
“We knew his tumour was pushing on his diaphragm and didn’t know what his breathing would be like.”
Mrs Hill said doctors had advised her surgery was not an option as the tumour was sitting behind Jasper’s heart and was very close to his spine.
Jasper was born at Mater Mothers’ Hospital in South Brisbane on 5 September and received round-the-clock multidisciplinary care in Mater’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before being transferred to the maternity ward.
Just three weeks after being born, Jasper started chemotherapy treatment at the adjacent Queensland Children’s Hospital in South Brisbane.
Mrs Hill said her ‘miracle’ son still had a long road ahead of him.
Dr Gardener said each year about four mums and their unborn babies with suspected neuroblastoma are referred to the Mater Centre for Maternal Fetal Medicine at Mater Mothers’ Hospital.
It is usually not detected until it starts to grow and compress nearby organs, Dr Gardener said.
“If detected early, the survival rate with early treatment is about 90 per cent in babies under 18 months,” he said.
“If left untreated, the cancer cells can spread quickly to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, liver, lungs, bones, central nervous system, and bone marrow.”
Although Jasper is allowed to go home between his chemotherapy treatments, Mrs Hill said her family was still going through a “heartbreaking” time.
“I am still I denial and in survival mode,” Mrs Hill said.
“Jasper has a big three-year-old sister who doesn’t understand what cancer is and why her brother can’t
come home yet.
“We want nothing more than for him to be cured of this cancer and to be back home enjoying life as a family of four, and to one day enjoy a holiday together.”
Mrs Hill is positive about her son’s outlook and doctors have told her Jasper has a “really good chance” of beating the cancer, because it was detected early.
“Jasper is a fighter and he is strong, he has a great family support network around him,” she said.
“We are hoping he will be home to celebrate his first Christmas with us, but depending on the chemotherapy schedules, it’s likely he will still be in hospital.”
She said her plans to be at home enjoying the “newborn bubble” had been derailed and instead she was driving from the Gold Coast to Brisbane several times a week to see her precious baby boy.
“My husband and I stayed at Ronald McDonald House for over a month when he was first born.
“When Jasper comes home after chemotherapy treatment, every few days he needs dressing changes and blood tests back in Brisbane, which means trips to the city are frequent, and costly,” Mrs Hill said.
A family fundraiser via is underway to help with travel costs.
