Brave Noah Lord is enjoying life despite major upheaval after neuroblastoma diagnosis
Noah Lord has battled cancer for a third of his short life, but you wouldn’t know it. With his smiles and energy, he has amazed everyone with how he has handled his gruelling cancer treatment.
NSW
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The days leading up to the birth of her fourth child were among the toughest of Jamie Lord’s life.
As she prepared to go into labour, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in April, her two-year-old son Noah was a three-hour drive away in the middle of a gruelling cancer battle for neuroblastoma, a cancer of the nerve tissue.
Mrs Lord, 36, had travelled back to their home in Orange for the birth, leaving her sick little boy and her husband Phil in lockdown at Ronald McDonald House at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
“It was very emotional, Phil and Noah had to stay in lockdown. I had mentally prepared myself for birth without Phil, and to have our family split again,” Mrs Lord said.
Thankfully, doctors gave the pair special permission to return home to welcome little Harrison into the world on April 24.
Now Noah and Harrison have a very close bond.
“He always called my bump Harry and we didn’t know if he was a boy or girl, but when he was born we had to call him Harry, and now they just love each other,” Mrs Lord said.
When Harrison was just two weeks old the entire family, including older siblings Connor, 10, and Mia, six, relocated to Ronald McDonald house where they have lived since May and it is baby Harry who has made Noah’s cancer battle a little lighter.
“He always wants to cuddle with Harry now,” Mrs Lord said.
The rambunctious two-year-old, who turns three next month, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in November last year. He only had a limp but, after it didn’t get better, an X-ray showed a big tumour just above his knee.
Noah has since endured six rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cells transplants, surgery, radiation and he is also part of a pilot study to see if immunotherapy given at the beginning of treatment with chemotherapy, rather than at the end, is more helpful.
Paediatric oncologist Bhavna Padhye said the trial specifically targeted neuroblastoma cells. “These drugs target the cancer cells and have less side effects and the hope is he does really well,” Dr Padhye said.
Doctors told the family to expect Noah to be quite tired and unwell given the intensity of his treatment but he has been the exact opposite.
“If you didn’t see the nasogastric tube and the bald head, you’d think nothing was wrong with him, he’s just a typical two-year-old constantly running and playing,” Mrs Lord said.
But the total upheaval of their life in Orange has been tough. Mr Lord had to give up his job to become Noah’s carer while Mrs Lord, a registered nurse, went on maternity leave.
“It’s been an intense rollercoaster,” Mrs Lord said.
All going well, Noah is expected to finish treatment in February.
“We are on the home run, we can see a light at the end,” Mrs Lord said
Originally published as Brave Noah Lord is enjoying life despite major upheaval after neuroblastoma diagnosis
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