General News
2 September, 2024
Ava's fight: four-year-old endures second round of cancer treatment
Ava undergoes aggressive treatment for relapsed Wilms' Tumor.
Ava Stephens is just four years old and is currently in the Royal Melbourne Children's Hospital, receiving chemotherapy and radiation for cancer for the second time.
The little girl has fought for life from the beginning; she was just 1652 grams at birth.
She had a heart murmur at two and cysts on her brain; however, she grew into a happy, healthy, active little girl.
Around Ava's third birthday, her mother noticed a lump on her stomach; the following diagnosis of Wilms' Tumor was a shock to her devastated parents.
Following her cancer diagnosis, scans, and biopsies, she had her left kidney removed; the cancer had attached to her diaphragm; she had four rounds of chemotherapy and 22 lymph nodes removed.
Ava went into remission and 'rang the bell' to celebrate this milestone before she left the hospital.
She returned home to Nhill with her family, her hair grew back, and her energy returned.
Her first three-monthly check was clear, but after six months of being in remission, "we got the heartbreaking news at Ava's second lot of three-monthly scans that they had picked up something unusual," her mother, Chloe Stephens, said.
Further testing showed another massive tumour growing in her little body, except this time in her chest, as well as a little nodule attached to her right lung.
A biopsy confirmed that Ava had relapsed and her Wilms' Tumor cancer was back.
Ava's parents, Chloe Stephens and Braeden Brizzi, were told the treatment this time would be very aggressive.
Even though Ava is just four, she dreams of having four children when she grows up.
Because of how aggressive these treatments are this time, Ava had to undergo fertility treatment surgery, as she is now at high risk (80%-100%) of infertility.
"They have taken out one of her ovaries to freeze and preserve in the hope that one day she will still be able to have children," her mother said.
"Ava will also have her bone marrow harvested every few weeks so they can give it back to her for nutrients, which requires her to be hospitalised for four weeks each time."
The family has had to relocate to Melbourne from Nhill in Victoria's west, 400 kilometres away, for at least six to eight months.
They cannot travel back and forth, nor can they bring Ava home due to her compromised immune system and the potential for infection.
It is also too much of a risk for her to be that far away from the hospital should she need immediate care.
Ava will spend much of the next six to eight months in hospital.
"She used to love the hospital, but not now, not this time," her mother said.
"Our oncologist has told us this time around will much harder on Ava's little body, and that she will get extremely sick and be even more immunocompromised than previously."
Ava's siblings, Makenzi (three) and Zara (two) find it hard to understand why their sister is sick and they can't go home.
"Ava started chemotherapy last week, which has been massive amounts that go for 3-4 hours. It's too early to tell if the chemo has had any effect yet, but we'll take the wins where we can.
"Her hair had just started growing back from her last treatment, and she was excited to wear bows in her hair.
"She understands her hair will go on another holiday with this treatment."
Ms Stephens said she wants people to understand there are so many children with cancer, and "until you see it daily at the hospital, you don't realise how many are there."
She also wants people to know that living in a small country town is idyllic except for the lack of medical services and the hundreds of kilometres people have to travel when facing this.
Ava's father is a truck driver. His employer has agreed to hold his job for him, but the family's only income is a carer payment for the next six to eight months.
"I hate to have another GoFundMe page going again, but the financial strain is hard, and the bills don't stop just because you have a sick child," Ms Stephens said.
"The money donated goes towards bills, groceries, petrol, parking, Ava's medications and fun activities when Ava is up for it and allowed to leave the hospital."
Ms Stephens hopes that by speaking out, the government would realise how heartbreaking it is to have a child this ill and the additional financial pressure that comes with having to live away from home for months at a time because treatment isn't available in regional and rural towns.
Visit www.gofundme.com/f/avas-fight-round-2 to stay up to date with Ava's progress.
Wilms' Tumor is also known as nephroblastoma, a cancer of the kidneys that typically occurs in children.
One of the signs of Wilms' tumour is a painless, palpable mass in the abdominal area.