Brisbane baby fights for life after leukaemia diagnosis

The mother of a five-month old baby with a rare form of blood cancer says she and her husband feel numb and struggle to get through the days in hospital.

Parents of a five-month-old Brisbane boy diagnosed with a rare form of cancer say they are struggling to get through long days in hospital as their angel fights for life.

Doctors initially thought Archie Asher had a mild, common ailment called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

But after his condition suddenly worsened early in the morning on March 19 his parents Anita and Alex Asher rushed him to the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

Doctors who examined him broke the news that Archie had a rare form of cancer, Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML).

He was fighting for his life two hours after the shock diagnosis as the cancer began to take over his little body.

Five-month old Archie Asher has been fighting for life against a rare Leukaemia diagnosis. Picture: Contributed

“They did say he’s very sick and they didn’t know if he would make it through the night,” Mrs Asher said.

“We were told at 5am the next morning that they managed to save him, by giving the right medication, chemo and removing a third of his blood and replacing it with donor blood.

“I wouldn’t have slept for more than two hours that night.

“They saved his life and he then spent days on dialysis and filter breathing.”

After 10 days on life support, dialysis and a cocktail of medications, Archie will have to spend the next four to six months in the oncology ward for further treatment.

The stress and gravity of the situation has been particularly hard for the couple, who have had to enlist their parents to look after their other children Alani, 3, and Aden, 2.

Archie Asher was rushed to the Queensland Children’s Hospital on March 19 with what his parents suspected was a RSV.

Mrs Asher will remain by Archie’s side at hospital while her husband runs his business to keep money coming in.

“The initial reaction was shock, finding out he had leukaemia,” Mrs Asher said.

“It was very hard to absorb that this was our reality with our tiny baby.

“It’s hard to articulate the feelings initially.

Archie’s diagnosis and time in hospital has been difficult for the entire Asher and extended family. Picture: Contributed

“We’re still numb some days and we find it hard to get through some days.

“We’re in this situation where we have to survive and we have to be there as his parents,” Mrs Asher said.

Born last October, Archie was described by his mother as a warm boy whose smile could light up a room.

In some welcome good news, the little fighter has been responding well to recent treatment.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the Asher family cover Archie’s treatments and make his hospital room for the next few months feel more like home.