Parents Sherryl Galang and Seyid Hamidi discover son has rare childhood cancer after routine check up

What started as a routine check-up turned into a heartbreaking journey of scans, hospital stays and treatment for eight-month-old Ibrahim.

When Sherryl Galang brought her seven-month-old son to the hospital, suspicious of his bloated belly, she had no idea why they admitted him to the oncology ward.

“As a mother you think ‘why are we here? This is for children that have cancer’,” the 29-year-old mum said.

“They don’t even know what he has yet.”

A week later her worst nightmare became a reality when now eight-month-old Ibrahim Hamidi was diagnosed with MS neuroblastoma — a rare childhood cancer.

“I didn’t even know what to say, I was frozen,” she said.

Eight-month-old Ibrahim Hamidi, who has been diagnosed with MS neuroblastoma, with his parents, mum Sherryl Galang and dad Seyid Hamidi. Picture: Supplied

Ibrahim was diagnosed after Ms Galang brought him to the doctor for a routine check-up on November 16 last year.

She said she noticed her son’s stomach was getting bigger, never decreasing, even in the morning, and when their GP felt it he immediately referred Ibrahim for an ultrasound.

“I managed to get in on that same day,” Ms Galang said.

Ms Galang brought her son to the doctor after she noticed his stomach appearing bigger than usual. Picture: Supplied

Ibrahim was rushed to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital after an ultrasound confirmed a tumour was present in his abdomen. Picture: Supplied

The ultrasound confirmed a tumour was present in Ibrahim’s abdomen and he would need to be rushed to the WCH straight away.

“I rushed myself and him to the hospital, called my husband … I was panicking, I didn’t know what to do,” Ms Galang, who lives in Hillbank, said.

“From then on it escalated.”

The family has been ‘living in a nightmare’ after their eight-month-old was diagnosed with cancer. Picture: Supplied

The young family was placed in the oncology ward and little Ibrahim underwent tests, for a week, until doctors confirmed he was suffering with nerve tissue cancer.

“It’s like you’re living a nightmare,” Seyid Hamidi, Ibrahim’s father and Ms Galang’s husband, told The Advertiser.

“The thought of one of your loved ones going through the c-word itself is hard to even believe, but to try and accept that your own son, your own seven-month-old has cancer … to even swallow it, I broke down.

“You don’t wish this upon your worst enemy.”

Ibrahim’s father wouldn’t wish his son’s diagnosis on his “worst enemy”. Picture: Supplied

Ibrahim’s diagnosis was all the more difficult for the family as an uncle passed away of cancer a few years ago. Picture: Supplied

Ibrahim’s diagnosis was all the more difficult for the family as Mr Hamidi’s uncle passed away from cancer a few years prior.

“He fought very hard to the very end but he just could not make it and the whole thought of that went through my head and I was feeling the worst,” he said.

Mr Hamidi said watching his son endure chemotherapy “never gets easier”. Picture: Supplied

The day after Ibrahim’s diagnosis he began chemotherapy.

He is continuing treatment for at least eight cycles with the hope it will kill the disease.

Mr Hamidi said watching his son endure chemo “never gets easier”.

“With every drop that goes into his body … we hope that it at the same time is killing that tumour,” he said.

Since Ibrahim’s diagnosis, Ms Galang and Mr Hamidi want to implore parents of young children to be aware of changes in their kids and seek medical attention if needed.

“If your gut is telling you something is potentially wrong, just get checked,” Mr Hamidi said.

If you’d like to donate to Ibrahim and his family, you can here.

Originally published as Parents Sherryl Galang and Seyid Hamidi discover son has rare childhood cancer after routine check up