Xander De Neef battling rare form of leukaemia

A Geelong grandmother is pleading for community help to support her grandson battling an aggressive form of leukaemia.

Xander De Neef is fighting an aggressive form of leukaemia is undergoing intense chemotherapy. Taken before he was diagnosed. Picture: Supplied

A Corio grandmother is pleading for the community’s support after her young grandson was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.

Xander De Neef, 9, was diagnosed with B-cell aggressive leukaemia in March last year after his family found bruises all over his body and dark red spots on his neck.

“His dad took him to get some blood tests ... the next morning Xander was rushed up to the Royal Children’s Hospital into the intensive care unit,” grandmother Kylie De Neef said.

Since the diagnosis, Xander has been in and out of hospital in Melbourne and undergone surgery and intense chemotherapy.

“It is taking a toll on his body ... he is so weak in his legs and can’t walk properly,” Ms De Neef said.

“He wants to go out and walk around but he doesn’t have the strength in his body.”

Xander’s dad Ross De Neef is a single-parent and was forced to leave his job after the diagnosis to take care of his little boy full-time.

Xander De Neef in hospital at the Royal Children’s Hospital where he is receiving chemotherapy treatment for an aggressive form of leukaemia. Picture: Supplied

Xander and his dad and full-time carer Ross De Neef. Picture: Supplied

Xander, who will turn 10 in April, had a Hickman placed at the top of his shoulder for blood work and chemotherapy when he was first diagnosed.

He will soon undergo more surgery to have a port placed in his body and is due to receive chemotherapy treatment for two years.

“It breaks our hearts when he cries and says ‘I hate this chemo, I don’t want it anymore’,” Ms De Neef said.

“I don’t think he understands how sick he is.”

Ms De Neef said her grandson just wants to live to a normal childhood.

“He really wants to get back to school and see his friends and go to birthday parties but it can be hard for other kids to understand what he going through,” she said.

“He loves playing with his Lego and on his PlayStation ... and baking cupcakes with his nannie.”

Mrs De Neef started a crowd-funding page to ease some of the pressure on her family.

“It can be stressful and expensive going into the hospital regularly for Xander’s treatment for surgery, chemo costs and parking,” she said.

Find the GoFundMe page to support little Xander here.

Originally published as Xander De Neef battling rare form of leukaemia