Townsville toddler Flynn Pfoeffer battles atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT)

An adorable Townsville toddler is bravely battling back from high-stakes surgery to remove a cancerous brain tumour but is tragically facing an uncertain future.

Darling Townsville toddler Flynn Pfoeffer is bravely battling back against all the odds after surgery for atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT), a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer that cruelly afflicts children aged under three years. Picture: Supplied

An adorable Townsville toddler is bravely fighting back after a mammoth surgery to remove a cancerous brain tumour but has been left unable to walk or talk.

Little Flynn Pfoeffer is facing an uncertain future as he recovers in Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane and undergoes chemotherapy with his devastated parents saying the road to recovery will be long, with no guarantee he’ll ever be back to 100 per cent.

The otherwise idyllic lives of the Pfoeffer family were upended when Flynn, aged just 21 months, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer that cruelly afflicts children aged under three years.

Parents Luke and Claudia Pfoeffer, speaking from the Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane, said they were first alerted to the possibility that something was amiss when their beloved baby boy began experiencing issues with his balance at day-care on January 7.

“We took him to the Emergency Department … and found out he had a brain tumour.”

The family flew to Brisbane two days later and were given the horror diagnosis of atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT) on the 14th.

Luke and Claudia Pfoeffer with newborn Franklin and Flynn at Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane. Picture: Supplied

Mr Pfoeffer said Flynn, a typical toddler who loved playing outdoors and adored his pet dog Furphy, was operated on the next day.

His voice cracked with emotion as he explained that Flynn had developed posterior fossa syndrome.

“He lost the ability to walk, talk, eat, even swallow, so he couldn’t move at all for at least two weeks, he couldn’t do anything at all.”

Darling Townsville toddler Flynn Pfoeffer is bravely battling back against all the odds after surgery for atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT), a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer that cruelly afflicts children aged under three years. Picture: Supplied

Mr Pfoeffer said Flynn was refusing to buckle in the face of extreme adversity and was beginning to be able to move.

“The two things it affects the most are his balance and speech, he still can’t walk and he still can’t talk but he’s started eating again, although the chemo is knocking him around still.”

He said the prognosis was uncertain.

“I don’t think he will ever be back to 100 per cent, like speech and balance, but we are hopeful he will be able to walk again at least, but how much he regains in the first six months is really going to tell, that’s where the biggest inroads are made,” he said.

“And he has made good progress, we are working on it.”

Darling Townsville toddler Flynn Pfoeffer is bravely battling back against all the odds after surgery for atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT), a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer that cruelly afflicts children aged under three years. Picture: Supplied

Mr Pfoeffer said Flynn was scheduled for an MRI scan in two weeks to confirm how successful the brain surgery in terms of removing all the cancerous cells.

“There are some microscopic cells left basically,” he said.

“It’s a very rare cancer and the chemo is really strong and that’s going to cause its own issues by the time we get through it … it’s pretty aggressive, it’s highly likely he’s going to need more treatment once this is done.”

Mr Pfoeffer said Flynn might require proton therapy in the United States at the age of three, a radiation treatment that can better target cancer cells and reduce the risks of collateral cellular damage.

The family, who have left their jobs and relocated to charity accommodation in Brisbane till at least July, are being supported by a GoFundMe page and the Willows Presbyterian Church in Townsville.

Darling Townsville toddler Flynn Pfoeffer is bravely battling back against all the odds after surgery for atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT), a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer that cruelly afflicts children aged under three years. Picture: Supplied

Mr Pfoeffer said Flynn was obviously missing playing outdoors, particularly at the Strand Water Park.

“We are grateful for all the support we’ve had, it certainly has been a bit of a relief for us to be able to focus on his treatment and helping him enjoy his life as best he can living in a hospital,” he said.

“It’s pretty tough for someone his age not being able to go outside very often, he’s confined to a room.”

The Cranbrook couple welcomed a second son, Franklin, into the world on March 2.

“We’ve had genetic testing and essentially Flynn was just unlucky, it was just a random gene variation … there’s no link to me or Claudia … which is a big relief obviously.”

Originally published as Townsville toddler Flynn Pfoeffer battles atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT)