PARKER O’Bree may barely be 15-months-old but he has already bravely faced more adversity than many adults.
In October, Parker started his next round of chemotherapy which will last for six-months, as he continues to fight a childhood cancer called Wilms’ Tumour or nephroblastoma.
Diagnosed at 11 months with stage five of this disease in a rare bilateral form that affects both kidneys, Parker’s parents Shaun O’Bree and Ri-ana Green knew they were in for the fight of their lives.
Parker’s mum Ri said it already feels like a “lifetime” since they sat in the consult room in the Royal Children’s Hospital with a team of oncologists and received that earth-shattering news.
They learned that Parker was one of the five per cent of patients with nephroblastoma to develop tumours on both kidneys, and that cancer cells had also spread to his lungs.
“In these months we have watched Parker transform before our eyes from a baby to a little boy,” Ms Green said.
“We have witnessed his distress, suffering, anguish and sadness in its rawest form.
“But boy have we seen what our little man is made of!!”
Parker began his first round of chemotherapy on July 24 and as of October 18 his mum explained the little boy had spent 48 days in hospital, undergone four surgeries, five MRIs, four DMSA scans, four CT scans and countless other procedures.
And those numbers will only increase as he undergoes more scans this week, and prepares for what will hopefully be his last surgery next week with radiation therapy set to start at the end of the month.
He has had some amazing victories though with the cancer in his lung was no longer there and also beating the five per cent odds of not losing his left kidney.
“Parker’s resilience just astounds us,” Ms Green said.
“He has had to relearn how to walk and talk again.”
As if that was not enough to deal with, the O’Bree and Green family welcomed a new member just days after Parker began chemotherapy, little Huddon, who also spent time in hospital in the neonatal intensive care unit due to breathing issues.
Despite this hardship, the family are grateful for the support they have received.
“From unexpected messages, the generous donations that alleviate the burden of living expenses, parking, medication, everyday items that just aren’t in your cupboard, to the social workers, therapists, charities and our family,” Ms Green said.
“We know our situation is heartbreaking but we also see how incredibly blessed we are.”
Parker is already helping other kids with cancer as his story was featured on the AFL Grand Final MyRoom Telethon with Bill Brownless and Shane Crawford.
This event raised a record amount of $3.3 million which will go straight towards striving for better outcomes for children with cancer, including clinical research projects, improving the quality of patient and family care, and supporting the Monash Children’s Hospital Cancer Centre.
Donations to Parker’s own recovery can also be made through Parker’s GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/f/parker-obrees-fight-against-nephroblastoma and also in-person at collection tins at local businesses around town.
The following businesses have tins for donations: Coles, Woolworths, both BWS stores, Bakker and Glen, both Rivett’s Bakery stores, Tan’s Tuckerbox and The Guardian.
