A Scots baby’s Constipation turns to Cancer

A rare and aggressive cancer has been identified in a toddler whose stomachaches were first misdiagnosed as constipation. In January, Tommy Paul Quinn, a resident of Bishopbriggs, which is close to Glasgow, became ill after returning from a family vacation. Parents Nicole,37, and David,41, noticed that specific foods would trigger the symptoms in their two-year-old child. Nicole initially believed the toddler might have a food allergy, but he was also having trouble falling asleep. Alarms didn’t go off until nurse Nicole noticed during a family get-together that little Tommy wasn’t interested in playing, had appeared lethargic, hadn’t consumed any liquids, and hadn’t used the restroom. The parents were instructed to visit Glasgow Children’s Hospital after the mother called NHS 24.
“We had given him something to drink when we got home, and we woke to find he had been sick everywhere,” Nicole stated to Glasgow Live. I simply felt that something wasn’t right and we should take him back. He was not his usual self, but I never would have imagined that this would be the case.” When Tommy saw a doctor, the doctor thought he might have constipation and asked to examine Tommy’s stomach. The mother continued, saying, “The registrar’s face fell when she felt his stomach. From then on, everything spiraled out of control.”
The child had an IV line placed, blood was drawn, and an ultrasound scan was scheduled by a consultant. “The consultant told us that the mass is probably something nasty, considering his age and other symptoms, and it is unlikely to be constipation,” Nicole stated. Next day, Tommy had his scan. After leaving the room, the radiologist came back and said the consultant would see us in the ward. That’s when we realized something serious was happening.” After several weeks of testing, Nicole received the devastating diagnosis that the child had Stage 4 High-Risk Neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer with a 50% chance of survival.
The child’s tumor on his adrenal gland was discovered by the doctors, who also discovered secondary manifestations in his lymph nodes, thorax, and spinal cord. “He is a typical boisterous boy who loves playing with cars,” the mother stated. Even though you see these things in the news, you never thought your son would experience them.” But as the mother revealed, Tommy, who is a cheeky chappy, hasn’t let the diagnosis hold him down. “He is blissfully unaware that he is so sick,” she remarked. He’ll be performing forward rolls in the ward while hooked up to four or five chemotherapy lines. When he is on his scuttle bug, David and I have to chase him with the machines to make sure he doesn’t get too far away.
“It took him four or five rounds of chemotherapy before he recovered fully.” Now though, he is a whirlwind. Two days after his keyhole surgery for his tumor, he was able to return home. He was outside bouncing away on his trampoline when I turned my head away from him. We are so proud of him for how he is handling things day-to-day and taking everything in stride. He has astounded us all with his fortitude and strength, maintaining his cheeky smile and mischievous nature.” The toddler’s family won’t find out if the cancer is in remission for another 18 months during this treatment period.
But even in the event that Tommy’s treatment is successful, his mother notes that relapses are “frighteningly common” in cases of High Risk Neuroblastoma, meaning that there is still a significant chance that Tommy’s cancer will return. Tommy’s chances of survival would drastically decrease to 5–10% if it returned, but his family is optimistic about his prospects and has started a fundraiser to help pay for future treatment, which might require them to travel to the United States or England and incur costs as high as £250,000.