Heartbreak as Ned Isham’s brave fight against cancer ends in peace

After a courageous battle with cancer, six-year-old Ned Isham has passed away peacefully – in the arms of his mum.

Ned Isham has lost his four-year battle against leukaemia. Picture: Lisa Kuilenburg

After a courageous battle with cancer, six-year-old Ned Isham passed away peacefully on Friday – in the arms of his mum.

The Kingston boy and his family had travelled the world in the past two years, grasping for a cure for Ned’s leukaemia.

His mum, Dr Emily Isham, sent out a simple message telling family and friends the devastating news.

“Very sad to let you know Ned passed away peacefully with us at home, in my arms, at about 7.30 this morning,” she said.

The little boy, who would have turned seven next month, had braved a rollercoaster of treatment and prospects in the past couple of years.

FAMILY DETERMINED TO GRAB ‘LAST MOMENTS OF JOY’

Dr Isham saluted her son’s courage in a post on Facebook.

“Our beautiful, courageous son. Rest In Peace now. You couldn’t have fought any harder.”

Dr Isham and her husband Seth were with Ned at the time of his passing.

Our beautiful, courageous son. Rest In Peace now. You couldn’t have fought any harder. • Edward (Ned) Isham 19/05/12 - 29/03/19 •

Posted by Emily Ruth on Thursday, 28 March 2019

Just a month ago the family had thought the worst behind them and “everything was done and dusted” after tests showed his cancer had receded to undetectable levels.

Ned even started school this term, and was able to get to class every day for the first two weeks.

ALL CLEAR AND COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

But in late February a routine check-up in Melbourne revealed the cancer had returned aggressively.

Having exhausted every possible treatment option, the family came to terms with the realisation there were no options left for Ned. Instead of invasive treatments, Ned began palliative chemotherapy.

From left, Dr Emily Isham holding Gilbert, Eleanor, Ned with dad Seth and Lucy after Ned’s return home just before Christmas last year. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

The little boy was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at age two, and spent the past two years enduring the harrowing side-effects of constant cancer treatments.

Ned had his first bone marrow transplant in Melbourne in November 2017. When that transplant failed, the family moved to Seattle to be part of a CAR T-cell therapy trial that was hoped to cure Ned of cancer.

Ned was able to be part of the trial after a crowd-funding campaign unearthed an anonymous overseas donation of just under $600,000.

ELATION AS DONOR STEPS IN TO PAY FOR TREATMENT

The Ishams had returned home to Tasmania at Christmas, after a second bone marrow transplant in Melbourne had appeared successful.

Dr Isham, a Kingston GP, has kept her “village” of family and friends updated about Ned’s condition on a blog, which warned “the end is nigh” on Tuesday.

“Since my last update, we’ve travelled a torturous rollercoaster, riding a brutally steep and swift descent from our preceding victorious ascent,” Dr Isham wrote.

Palliative chemotherapy had been holding his leukaemia at bay, but the progression was rapid in the past week.

“Each night, as Ned now sleeps next to Seth’s and my bed, it is a fresh deep and raw agony to realise we won’t hear that gentle, rhythmic breathing for much longer,” she wrote.

She closed the blog with a prayer from Ned:

“Dear God.

Thank you for loving me.

Please help everyone have a good sleep.

I love you.

See you when I get to heaven.

Amen” 

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