Hudson Steer, Cairns Queensland
Diagnosis: Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma
Age: 13 years old
“A frank question from my teenage son left me completely floored.”
Prior to Hudson’s diagnosis our life in Cairns was like that of any other young family. A busy household with two working parents, two growing adolescent boys – both heavily involved in sporting activities and immersed in high school.
We were cocooned in the safety of our daily life, thinking about future goals and working hard to achieve them.
Hudson has been dancing at elite levels since he was six years of age and his love of basketball saw him representing Cairns, playing for the Marlins prior to his diagnosis.
Hudson was an active, happy 13 year old, racing through life with vigour, until he suddenly fell ill, and a one hour surgery became a four hour marathon, with a cancerous tumour unveiled at the finish line. A tight knit family trying to hold one another up, and a reality that would change their lives forever, the 12th of October 2018, is a day that will never be forgotten in the Steer family.
“There were tears, shock, fear and the inevitable question
“Am I going to die?”
As much as we had anticipated this question, actually hearing it from your child is heartbreaking, particularly when the answer provides no guarantees.” Describes Hudson’s mother Stacey.
Suddenly, Hudson and his family were catapulted into a reality where every birthday and Christmas is celebrated like it might be the last, and days whizz past in a blur of medical terminology and procedures.
“The time you spend at the hospital, and with Childhood Cancer Support, sees you forging bonds with the staff akin to that of family.” Says Stacey.
In the middle of a 40-week block of chemotherapy, Hudson has lost his physical strength and stamina, often requiring a wheelchair to get around, yet he retains his humour, strength and determination to get better.
While learning a whole new way to be a parent to Hudson, Stacey speaks of Childhood Cancer Support as the saving grace for her family’s finances, wellbeing, optimism and comfort.
“From the early days of health concerns there was an overwhelming desire to be together as a family so we could draw on one another’s strength.
Keeping the family together is now particularly challenging given the geographical distance between us, maintaining work and being there for our eldest son Campbell through his last year of high school in Cairns.
The home that Childhood Cancer Support provides is a sanctuary and a support network that keeps our family going in our new hectic and challenging schedules.
Many things surprised us about Childhood Cancer Support. The facilities provided, the forethought that had gone into personal touches to make the accommodation feel like home, the holistic manner in which they cater for families’ needs, including a transport service”, Stacey says.
Stacey urges you to make a donation:
“Donating to Childhood Cancer Support provides more than just a home away from home for families that are dealing with the trauma of their child’s cancer diagnosis and treatment. Donations like yours help us to provide a supportive community, and a safe haven for families with a sense of normality in what is otherwise a tumultuous and frightening journey into the unknown.”
Donate today, and give kids like Hudson, their home away from home during the fight of their lives.
