Camden community rallies around Liam Cantarella after cancers returns

Southwest Sydney 12-year-old Liam has undergone many rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which have had awful side effects, but his trademark cheeky smile still shines. See how the community has rallied around him.

Liam Cantarella was diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was 10. Two years later and the cancer is back. The community of Camden have rallied around him to raise funds.

A southwest Sydney family have been living a nightmare after their 12-year-old son’s aggressive cancer returned, but they have not given up hope.

When Liam Cantarella was 10 years old, he started suffering from headaches, so the doctor booked him in for a precautionary MRI.

After the scan, his mother, Isabella, dropped him back at school, but a few hours later received a phone call saying to take him to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead straight away.

The scan had uncovered a medulloblastoma, a fast-growing brain tumour on the base of his skull. Liam was operated on that night.

Family friend Vanessa Higgs said the diagnosis was a complete shock to the Camden family.

CAMDEN, NSW - Liam Cantarella was diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was 10. Two years later and the cancer is back. The community of Camden have rallied around him to raise funds.

CAMDEN, NSW - Liam Cantarella was diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was 10. Two years later and the cancer is back. The community of Camden have rallied around him to raise funds.

“He was a 10-year-old boy. You just don’t expect it,” she said.

“That was more than two years ago. After the initial operation, they did radiation to try and kill any part of it that was left there.

“They did another scan and found what they described as icing sugar in the spine, so they went forward with the chemotherapy.”

Liam’s first treatment was successful, with the scans showing positive results, but the doctors decided to do a second round of treatment.

Following this, Liam had scans every three months, and while the first two were positive, the most recent one four weeks ago showed cancer cells back on the spine and now in his brain and spinal fluid.

“It was just devastating,” Ms Higgs said.

Liam with his two brothers and mum.

“The treatment is not working, which is heartbreaking. They have offered another option and are looking to see if there are clinical trials he can join.”

In a social post to Brave Liam, Mrs Cantarella said the news was difficult to hear.

“[It’s] been over two years, and we are still not sure what the future holds,” she wrote.

“It just scares me, all of us, so much. I pray and hope that one day cancer will be a distant memory and we are able to live a normal life.”

While Liam has battled a brain tumour over the past two years, the 12-year-old’s “trademark cheeky smile still shines”.

“Laughter comes naturally to him. He and his mother are the same like that,” Ms Higgs said.

“He really is a friend to everyone. He is such a fighter as well, even on the days that are hard.”

The school community and friends of the Cantarellas have rallied around them and started a fundraiser.

Ms Higgs said they want to help give Liam fun experiences and ease the burden on the family.

“We were feeling helpless, and we wanted to find a way to help,” she said.

A GoFundMe has already raised more than $11,000. For more information about the fundraiser, click here.