Bad News

We returned to the Royal London yesterday and Fintan had his EUA (examination under anaesthetic) with the intention of having his second application of cryotherapy, however, things have taken a turn for the worse and Fintan now has new tumour growths in both eyes. Chemotherapy and cryotherapy will no longer be effective in treating these new fast growing tumours and Mr Hungerford has informed us radiotherapy is the next step. Of course, we are absolutely devastated, but we have to do everything we can to try to save Fintan's eyes.

Details are a little hazy at the moment, but are trying to arrange an initial 'measuring up' appointment at Moorfields Eye Hospital in the next few days, then a consultation with the radiotherapy specialist and within 7-10 days we should start a month long radiotherapy course at St Bartholomews, London (Barts). This will be daily treatment (5 days on / 1 day off) and Fintan will have to have a general anaesthetic each time. The application of radiotherapy does not take long and hopefully we will not have to spend much more than half a day at the hospital and we can come home each day.

It is going to be a very tough month for everyone, but of course especially for Fintan who has been so brave throughout all this. He is such a happy, carefree boy and even when we were being given the bad news last night, he put a smile on our faces by playing 'peek-a-boo' around the door!

We will try to keep the Blog as up-to-date as possible.

Before we were given the bad news yesterday, the day had actually been quite fun. As it is half term we had taken Archie and Barnaby with us. A group of artists have been carrying out a project with the children at the hospital involving the children on the wards creating a message to send to other children on different wards, in the hope of getting an "Artistic response". Archie, Barnaby and Fintan (with a little help from Daddy), had great fun producing their masterpieces. There are some photos, I shall add them later today...