Support 15 year old Joshua in his fight against Leukaemia

All the other 15 year old kids are preparing for exams next week. Joshua doesn’t feel like studying, his legs are still aching; he has no appetite and just wants to sleep, not surprising really after all he’s going through a growth spurt and teenage stuff. Dad takes him for a check-up anyway; a routine blood test is done to reveal crazy white blood cells so a trip to Starship Hospital is done to have a few other tests. By the end of the next day Joshua is diagnosed with Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). This is a complete and utter shock to Joshua, his dad Joey, Step mum Shonelle, 12 year old brother Harry and 6 year old sister Olivia.

The aim of treatment is to try and get Joshua into complete remission with normal blood and bone marrow. At this stage Joshua’s main treatment is intravenous chemotherapy and steroids. The outlook depends on how well Joshua responds to initial treatment, or how quickly he can achieve a remission and how much disease is left over in his body after this initial treatment. The treatment for Joshua can last from two to three years or longer depending on treatment response and ongoing test results.

As Joshua’s Aunty and Joey’s sister I have witnessed an extreme amount of stress within the family this diagnosis and treatment has initiated. Naturally the demands of treatment have brought many disruptions to their normal day-to-day lives. Routines have been and will continue to be disrupted with frequent trips to the hospital for tests and treatment. Like most teenagers a great hair style is crucial for body image and self-concept, Joshua will start to lose his hair within the next 2 weeks.

I am initiating this page to help the family financially and emotionally; Joey will continue to be responsible for his son’s care and worrying about work commitments and paying the bills is another stress he can do without allowing him to focus on Joshua without fretfulness. Joey is a fantastic father and Joshua is a lovely young man and this journey is proving to be both physically and mentally exhausting. Funds raised will go towards a separate bedroom for Joshua where he currently has to share with his brother in their rental. I would also like to see him with his own phone and decent computer so he can maintain social relationships and challenge boredom, research more about his illness independently and take his mind off the pain. Funds will also assist with income for normal day to day living expenses and the costs of hospital visits and cover Joey’s income at least through the initial worse phase.