Little boy’s allergy turned out to be a cancerous brain tumour

When little Patrick was unable to keep his food down in the first few months of his life he was diagnosed with a cow’s milk allergy, but his mum felt there was something more sinister going on. She was proved right, but was still “blown away” by the diagnosis.

PATRICK Murphy’s endless smiles have brightened the darkest days.

The highly resilient tot is turning one and has been through a torturous year, but nothing can remove the contagious big grin from his face.

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Even when he woke from dangerous brain surgery and was still in an anaesthetic fog – there it was, his signature smile.

For the first few months of his life Patrick was constantly vomiting. He could keep nothing down and was skin and bone.

He was diagnosed with a cow’s milk allergy. But his sickness didn’t wane and his mum felt there was something more sinister going on.

Patrick Murphy has never been without a smile through his first year of hell.

Patrick Murphy with his mum Chontelle Svensen. Picture: Steve Vit

“I just felt that there was something more. He was very malnourished and was a very, very sick little boy. Eventually we went to the Queensland Children’s Hospital where he had an MRI. It revealed a big tumour on his brain,” mum Chontelle Svensen said.

Blown away by the shock diagnosis that her nine-month old had brain cancer, Chontelle says she gathered her strength from her baby’s resilience and readiness to smile.

“He is amazing. I suppose he has been too young to understand the gravity of the situation but he must have been feeling miserable and he never showed it,” she said.

Doctors successfully removed the glioma tumour from Patrick’s brain, but there is still cancer attached to his optic nerves.

He faces further chemotherapy and treatment.

Little Patrick Murphy wakes up from dangerous brain surgery with a smile on his face.

Gliomas are one of the most common types of primary brain tumours. Treatment options can include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and experimental clinical trials.

“Patrick has been diagnosed with a low-grade glioma,” Chontelle, from Rockhampton, said.

“We have been given a reasonable prognosis and we are moving forward in a positive frame of mind.”

“I am just trying to get Patrick back to a healthy weight and strong for his next round of treatment.

“He has managed to put weight on and hit the 7kg mark but a typical little boy would weigh much more.”

“We cannot thank the specialist team and the nurses at the Queensland Children’s Hospital who helped us through this.

“They did all they could so that Patrick could enjoy his first birthday at home.

“We are very grateful for this amazing milestone.”

Originally published as Little boy’s allergy turned out to be a cancerous brain tumour