‘With all the help, we were still able to spend a valuable month together at home.’
Rowan (2) was diagnosed with bone cancer at an exceptionally young age. When he was 1 year old, it was discovered that he had an osteosarcoma in his knee. Six weeks after his last chemotherapy, things went wrong again: a new tumor in the same spot and metastases in his body. Curing was no longer possible. His mother, Laura, shares how she experienced that period and what the Máxima has meant for them.
‘It started with a visit to the family doctor because I noticed that Rowan was limping a little, although there had been no trauma. After the third visit, we were sent to the hospital for an x-ray. I was immediately told that he had a significant tumor in his knee’, says Rowan’s mother Laura.
Chemotherapy and rotationplasty
Laura: ‘A few days later, we were at the Princess Máxima Center for the first time, where the treatment for osteosarcoma was quickly started. Ten months of chemotherapy and a rotationplasty, where his lower leg was reversed so that his ankle joint became a new knee joint. We celebrated his second birthday in the hospital.
Rowan went through the treatments relatively easily, even after the first prosthesis was fitted, he was walking around without a walker in a bizarrely short time. Unfortunately, Rowan was also diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, which means that he is at a higher risk for recurrence and other forms of cancer than other children. This also turned out to be the cause of the cancer at such a young age.
Wrong again
On November 1 2023, Rowan had his last round of chemo and was ‘clean’. Unfortunately, six weeks later, things went wrong again. He started limping again, and several scans later revealed a new tumor in the same spot. Follow-up scans also revealed metastases throughout his body, making a cure impossible. In order not to burden him unnecessarily with treatments, I decided, in consultation with the doctors, not to treat him any further, and with all the help and support of the Máxima Center and Home Care, we were able to spend another precious month together at home, and he also died at home with me.
Lots of support
You never want to be in the hospital with your child, but if you have to be there, preferably at the Máxima Center. The dedication, warmth and support I received from the hospital is beyond words. Shortly before Rowan was born, his father was also diagnosed with cancer (not hereditary). He died seven months later. This left me alone as a parent, despite all the help I had from my family. I had and still have a lot of support from all the caring and knowledgeable doctors and staff at the Máxima Center. My advice to other parents: Ask for help when you need it and take care of yourself.
Cheering
For Rowan, every trip to the Máxima Center was a celebration. In fact, he cheered in his car seat as we pulled off the highway and saw the Rainbow Bridge. That's what a hospital does, right?! He loved the toddler gym, the highlight of his day. And the wonderful parent-child rooms that allow you as a parent to be close to your child but still have your own space, which makes the treatments as manageable as possible for you as a parent.’
Also read:
- ‘It may feel as if the Máxima Center doesn’t know death, but unfortunately that’s not the case.’In November 2017, blood was drawn from two-year-old Florian because he had not been feeling well for some time. The family was soon referred to the Princess Máxima Center, where it became clear that Florian had stage 4 neuroblastoma. Within a week, his first chemotherapy treatment started. His mother, Maaike, shares their story.
- ‘The incredibly passionate staff consciously chose for the Máxima Center – and you can feel that.’After a year of a wait-and-see approach, with only check-ups, Seph has been coming to the Princess Máxima Center every three to four weeks for admission since 2018. He is still in treatment for a special form of neuroblastoma and will continue to be for the coming years. His mother Leonie shares her experience with the Máxima Center.
- ‘The staff always try to make the treatments as stress-free as possible.’When her granddaughter Naïma was born, it was of course a wonderful moment for Flora. But after three and a half months, something was not right. Naïma has acute lymphoblastic leukemia and is being referred to the Princess Máxima Center. Flora shares how she experienced this period as a grandmother.