Katie Fulton

Jacobs journey

Over the past few months, our 11-year-old son, Jacob, had been having problems with his voice, it initially seemed like it was ‘breaking’, albeit it early, and then the power went in voice meaning that he could hardly speak.

Following an appointment with his GP, Jacob was referred to the ENT specialist at his local hospital, and we were informed that this could take between 12 to 18 months to come through. Due to the obvious problems, it was causing Jacob in his day-to-day life, we decided to get a private second opinion.

His appointment was on the Thursday, and thanks to an amazing consultant, Mr Richard Hewitt and we received the news that Jacob was booked in for surgery at 7am on the following Monday to have a Tumour removed from his vocal cords which was also blocking his airway by 60 to 70%, with his airway compromised, even more so should he develop a cold or throat infection.Following the surgery Mr Hewitt felt that he had removed 99.9% of what was visible, but there was uncertainty as to what could not be seen.

When a tumour is removed,  it is often the case that the ensure that they have all of it, a small portion of the flesh is removed as well  as this is the only was to ensure you have removed all of the mass, however, due to the fact that Jacobs tumour was situated on his vocal cords, this was not possible, as this could cause life changing problems to his voice, breathing and speech, therefore a medical option was the only solution.

An appointment was made with the Oncology team at GOSH, and discussions were had re the way forward and Chemotherapy was one option (‘Oncology’ and ‘Chemotherapy’, two words which strike fear into most people, let alone the family of an 11 year old boy). Butagain, the staff at GOSH were amazing, taking the time to find out about Jacob and explain to him and us what the options were. The tumour was a very rare kind of mass which was slow growing, but which could in time return, but one which GOSH had dealt with before. Trying to look at the positives, the mass was mutatedwhich basically means that it contained a substance known as ALK which could be targeted by a new medication, which hasn’t been used as much in the UK as it has elsewhere, so there were possibly options to Chemo.

Just before Christmas, we received the best present ever, that following all the scans and procedures that Jacob has undertaken, it appeared that, at this stage, Jacob is now clear.

His journey will continue, and he will be monitored every three months with scans and more procedures on his throat under general anaesthetic to ensure that nothing has returned.

There are no words to describe how amazing all the staff have been and how wonderfully Great Ormond Street Hospital is set up to deal with children, young people and their parents who are attending the hospital, whether it be with how quickly they have dealt with Jacob, or the care and compassion you are shown throughout the Jacobs journey.

However, attending regularly you appreciate that there are children attending who are facing a very uphill journey, and we counted our blessings, and prayed for them to fully recover.

We could never explain how grateful we are, andcontinue to be, for everything that has been done for Jacob and us as a family and, in reality, there are no way we could ever show how grateful we are for the incredible care our boy has received!

Jacob wanted to say “Thank You” to the staff and asked if in January, we could take part in the GOSH walk / run 31 miles but as Jacob is a keen stunt skater, we will be skating 31 miles plus to raise money for this amazing cause.

We fully appreciate that times are tough for many, it’s just after Christmas and there are many other good causes fundraising currently and throughout the year.

We have experienced first-hand the dedicated worked undertaken by the staff, and the seen the children, who like Jacob are receiving treatment – It is sometimes heartbreaking to just walk down the corridors.

But if you could dig deep and find just a small amount to contribute to our fund in order that GOSH can continue the lifesaving and life changing work which they undertake, on a daily basis, we would be eternally grateful.

I’m running, walking or wheeling 31 miles in January for GOSH Charity!

I’m making a positive start to 2024 by running, walking or wheeling 31 miles in January, all to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity).

Every day, around 750 children and young people are seen at GOSH from across the UK for life-changing treatment and care. Every day, doctors and nurses battle the most complex illnesses, and the brightest minds come together to achieve pioneering medical breakthroughs. And every day that I run, walk or wheel you'll help GOSH Charity give seriously ill children the chance of a better future.

This extraordinary hospital has always depended on charitable support, so please help me to achieve my goal by giving whatever you can, no amount is too small to make a difference.