Boy’s heartbreaking message as he loses leg to incurable cancer

A young boy left a heartbreaking message on his leg after learning that it had to be amputated due to a rare and incurable cancer.

A young boy has left a heartbreaking message on his leg after learning that it had to be amputated due to a rare cancer.

Chandler Tran, eight, and his family first discovered he was unwell when they discovered a “pea-sized” bump on his leg and noticed he was walking with a limp when he returned from holiday care at Easter.

After an x-ray at the local hospital the next day he was taken to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. A week later, he was given the devastating diagnosis of osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer.

He also had multiple tumours in his lungs.

Next came months in hospital, with chemotherapy. Doctors then wanted to amputate his leg to take away his pain, but it couldn’t cure him.

“He said: ‘Can you take a photo of my leg on my tablet?’” Tran said.

“He drew a little love heart over his leg and wrote a little message.

“He wrote: ‘Dear leg, I’ll miss you so much when you’re gone, love Chandler.’

“He was sad about the prospect of losing his leg, but he was like, ‘If that’s what I need to do to not have pain, then that’s okay.’

“For us seeing him coping so well, that really helped us.”

Chandler's with his family. Picture: Supplied

Days after recovering from that operation, more bad news followed – the tumours in Chandlers lungs had grown and the doctors couldn’t do anything more to save his life. They didn’t know how long he had left.

“They said any treatment would just be palliative, to try and slow the cancer down,” mother Trang said.

“We won’t be able to save him.”

The message he left on his leg. Picture: Supplied

Chandler is on oxygen and pain medicine. Picture: Supplied

He’s on pain medication, and has portable oxygen tanks.

The family has also set up a GoFundMe page to help cover eventual funeral costs but also to fund any LEGO that Chandler wants.

”The sickness is coming on and we are at the point where we can’t treat it and so it is about keeping him happy,” Mr Tran said.

“And what makes him happy is keeping him home and giving him LEGO.

“We appreciate everyone who has donated and is helping us give Chandler whatever his heart desires to make the last bit as enjoyable as possible.”