Jacob's Journey

A little over a month ago, Jacob was a normal 5 year old. He was enjoying his first year at big boy school, playing with his friends and his little sister. This all changed when he had a fall in school and after this he was taken to the doctors as he was sick and lethargic, he was diagnosed with a concussion. This is when Jacob should have gone back to his normal life with his Mummy - Nicole, Daddy - Anthony and little sister, Sophia.

Unfortunately, this was not the case.

Over the next couple of weeks, he deteriorated. Little Jacob was sleeping lots, struggling with his mobility and overall was not his fun happy, quirky self.

Jacob had to take some time out from school and when Mummy took him back, the welfare officer and school nurse could see exactly what his Mummy could see, so they called 111.

Jacob and his Mummy went to Northwick Park hospital on 28th November and they gave him a CT scan. The doctors came and spoke to his Mummy and Daddy and they were told the words that no parent of a 5 year old little boy should be told:-

“There is a mass in his brain”.

The doctors told them that their 5 year old child would have to undergo an MRI and potentially have to undergo brain surgery to remove the mass.

He was transferred over to Great Ormond Street the next day to have these procedures.

Jacob went down for these procedures and after 2 hours of pacing the halls of the hospital, Mummy, Daddy and Nanny Sharon were told that Jacobs mass was inoperable as it was connected to his brain stem.

As you can imagine, this news was utterly devastating. The doctors explained that Jacob would still under go brain surgery to have a shunt fitted into his brain to drain the cerebral fluid into his intestines to relieve the pressure in his brain; therefore, relieving the symptoms. They would also do a burr hole and take a biopsy of the tumour to see if it was malignant or benign.

Jacob returned a few hours later, he was groggy and in pain. Family came and seen him the next day while he recovered in the high dependency unit at GOSH.

Despite just waking up from a major operation, all Jacob wanted to do was go home and see “my Sophia”. It broke his Mummy and Daddies heart to see him so sick and upset.

Jacob was allowed home on Monday 4th December while they waited for the biopsy results to come back in.

On Tuesday 5th December, Mummy and Daddy went back up to GOSH to meet with the consultants and oncologists. Here they were told the devastating news that the tumour was a malignant DIPG tumour and there was no cure.

Doctors and scientists have been trying to find a cure for over 40 years and due to the nature of the tumour, it’s impossible to remove via an operation. They can only give up to two rounds of radiotherapy as a palliative care option.

Within a week their life with two healthy beautiful children changed forever.

Jacob has been given 9-12 months to live.

That is 9-12 months that Mummy and Daddy get to love and cherish the time they have with him. 9-12 months that Sophia gets to play with her big brother.

Jacob started 13 rounds of intense radiotherapy on Monday 11th December 2023, so hopefully he can be at home and spend this Christmas in the comfort of his home surrounded by those who love and adore him most.

We are setting up this go fund me so that Nicole and Anthony can make the best memories with Jacob and make the next year the most special with his little sister. And so that his Mummy and Daddy don’t have to worry about bills, so they can take time off work to spend as much time with their special little boy.

We are unsure if there will be any clinical trials that Jacob may be accepted on to. If there is, we will need all the support we can get, as many trials are only available abroad. If this becomes an option we will reach out again to seek more help.

Thank you for any donations you make, it will honestly make the biggest difference in such tragic circumstances.

Let’s pray for a miracle that a cure becomes available to give Jacob a fighting chance while he goes along this heartbreaking journey.