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Xantheas Journey with Lymphoma

  • Final Update - Treatment Complete

      28 August 2025
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    Today marked the end of Xanthea's treatment and we have had final confirmation that her cancer is officially in remission.

    She rang the ceremonial bell and signed the giraffe on the CHOC ward to signify that she has completed her entire treatment process. This was a really big moment for her, and we were all thinking back to how far we have come since we arrived, and how little we knew then about what we were going to experience.

    We leave in the morning for a bucket-list trip to Queenstown, that will mark 137 nights that we have been based in Christchurch, away from the comforts of home and dealing with the treatment process. We are looking forward to doing some really exciting activities as a family and getting home to our own beds (although Christchurch has become a 2nd home to us all now anyway).

    Xanthea also wrote thank you cards and gave them to Ronald Mcdonald House and the Staff of the CHOC wards to say how grateful we are for all their support over the past 5 months. We'd also like to once again thank everyone who sent messages of support or contributed in some way to making this easier for us.

    We will close this page in the coming days, as we finish this chapter in Xantheas journey.

    Thank you to everyone,

    Xanthea, Sarah and Jeremy

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  • Almost there now

      9 August 2025

    We have almost reached the end of this chapter.

    Xanthea has now completed all of her chemo, and we're just waiting for her body to react and recover one last time. It usually takes about 2 weeks before she is back to normal.

    Once her blood counts bounce back, she will have a short procedure under a general anesthetic to remove her central line that was used for the treatment and then she can ring the final bell.

    As xanthea has been feeling energised recently, we have been able to go out, try a few different restaurants and explore the last few bits of chch we haven't seen yet to occupy ourselves.

    We have also had time to think about what comes next, Xanthea has enrolled in college now, and is starting to think about what thats going to be like. She should be able to complete the last school term with her friends this year too.

    We should be home in about 3 weeks, we'll miss chch and the other other families we haved shared this experience with at ronald mcdonald house, but are also looking forward to getting back to our normal routines.

    Hopefully our next update is xanthea ringing the bell and us beginning our trip home (with a few stops on the way).

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  • A Big Positive Update

      9 July 2025

    To all Xantheas supporters, friends and family,

    We’ve just received the best news we could have hoped for, the results from Xanthea’s latest CT scan are in, and her medical team has confirmed that the treatment has worked exactly as they’d hoped. The cancerous mass is now completely gone, and the imaging was clear enough that her doctors are confident that the treatment has worked.

    It’s been a really tough last couple of months – Xanthea had two extended stays in the Children’s High Care Unit and narrowly avoided being admitted to ICU due to a recurring blood infection. But this news has made it all worth it.

    There are still two final, milder rounds of chemo to complete before she can ring the bell to mark the end of her treatment, but these should be much easier to get through. We’re very excited to do some travelling around the South Island during her downtime – and even better, we're all flying home for a couple of nights this weekend to visit her beloved pets and sleep in our own beds.

    We are so grateful to the amazing CHOC team here in Christchurch. Although we could have returned to Wellington to complete her treatment, Xanthea has chosen to finish her treatment here in Christchurch with the team that’s been with her from day one.

    3 months have passed since we arrived, and there is still 6 weeks to go but there’s light at the end of the tunnel now – thank you to everyone who has offered support.

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    • 09/07/2025 by Elizabeth

      How exciting for you all , must feel like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Enjoy your few days at home , you all deserve it .

  • A little bit of Snow, and a lot closer to going home

      29 June 2025
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    It’s been a big few weeks for Xanthea. Shortly after Round 4 of chemo, she faced some pretty rare and serious side effects, it was one of the most challenging times we’ve had so far, but she showed a lot of strength to pull through it and bounce back. Then she barely got a days rest before we had to go back in for round 5.

    Last Tuesday, she completed Round 5, and in a small milestone we’ve since managed to stay out of hospital for almost a whole week. Thats the longest stretch since we arrived in mid-April.

    Xanthea has been watching the southern alps slowly become covered in snow from her hospital room window, and she has been hoping to see them up close at some point. So today we took a drive to Porters Pass ski field where she got to touch real snow for the first time since she was little. (she refused to believe me when I said how cold it is on a mountain). From there, we headed through Arthur’s Pass, with stunning scenery it was probably the best day we’ve had since we got here. It was a refreshing change from hospital walls and a reminder of how awesome this part of the country can be.

    Coming up, Xanthea has a CT scan that will guide what her final two rounds of chemo look like. We’re hoping for positive results and maybe just a couple more mild cycles. Fingers crossed this means we can start exploring more of the South Island in our downtime.

    Thanks again to everyone who offered messages and support. It really helps lift Xantheas spirits.

    Thanks

    The Tresch Family

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    • 30/06/2025 by Kellie

      Yay SNOW! So brave in shorts! Keep going Xanthea; you are nearly there. You are such a strong girl

  • Xanthea's June Update

      13 June 2025

    Hi everyone,

    Xanthea completed her 4th round of chemotherapy last week, and we’re hopeful that we’ve now passed the halfway mark in her treatment journey. The chemo has become less intense but spread out over longer durations, which brings a new set of challenges.

    It’s been a really tough week for Xanthea. Her body is feeling the effects of everything she’s been through so far. She’s been dealing with a number of difficult side effects, which although temporary, make it very uncomfortable for her.

    Yesterday, we moved back into the high care unit, as her potassium levels dropped so low that it started to affect her heart. We miss the comforts of the CHOC ward but its good knowing she is being looked after and monitored as closely as possible.

    Despite all of this, Xanthea continues to be very brave. She’s staying as positive as she can and is really looking forward to breaking through this next stage. She really appreciated that two of her school friends from Wellington came to visit over the past week. Her aunty also came to see her, which was nice for Xanthea. We appreciate the time and effort it takes for people to travel to see her.

    We can’t thank you enough for the kindness and support you continue to show. Every message makes a real difference and helps us get through these bumpy patches.

    Thanks to everyone,

    Xanthea and Family

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  • Another Round of Chemo Down

      20 May 2025

    Xanthea completed her 3rd round of chemotherapy last Friday. We have managed to have a nice weekend outside of the hospital at Ronald Mcdonald house, and are hoping to get a good rest before we move onto the next stage of treatment.

    It can be quite challenging managing the risk of infection, as even a minor fever means a re-admission of at least 48 hours back in the hospital. Xanthea is remaining in good spirits however and enjoying the comforts of being outside of the hospital. Its not unusual to need to go back into hospital after each stage but so far the side effects have been well managed this round as we get a better understanding of what to look out for.

    Once her immune system has recovered to a good level, we are thinking about some different activities we can do to take our minds of the treatment and hospital environment. Xanthea is eagerly awaiting the next visit from the therapy dogs, as she's missing her pets back home a lot.

    She's also been keeping herself busy assembling her beads of courage, she has already accumulated over 60 beads in the short time we have been here.

    Thanks again for all the messages of support, and hopefully we can put up some nice updates in the near future of Xanthea managing to come out and explore Christchurch a bit more.

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  • Back in for Round 3

      11 May 2025
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    Just a quick update, we spent the weekend trying to replace some of the lost nutrition after the last round, so Xanthea has been enjoying eating all her favourite foods to prepare for round 3.

    We are back into hospital tonight, scheduled for the next 4 or 5 days. Xanthea will start iv hydration tonight to prepare for the next round of chemotherapy tomorrow. This is the 3rd round of 7 we expect to do, and hopefully this is the last one that includes the most powerful medicine which causes the worst side effects.

    She's in good spirits and we are getting more comfortable with the routine of coming in and out of hospital now. We're getting really efficient at packing the bags and learning what we really need to bring with us.

    Thanks again for everyone's support and messages. Xanthea really enjoys each surprise package she gets in the mail. We'll keep everyone updated on her progress as we go.

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  • A tough week, but making progress

      7 May 2025

    Its been a long week for Xanthea. She got discharged from hospital, then re-admitted due to a fever for 3 nights, then discharged again, and unfortunately was re-admitted today for a fever again.

    Xanthea is coping with it really well, and understands that the side effects are a part of the process. Its frustrating but it helps that the doctors are advising that the cancer is responding exceptionally well to the treatment so far. That's a huge positive at the moment.

    One of the more obvious side effects we have been expecting has been the hair loss from the chemotherapy. Xanthea chose to take control of that herself, and decided to get her hair shaved yesterday. She's still adjusting to her new look and is looking forward to doing a big reveal when she is ready. She really suits the look, but she has also been fitted for a custom made hairpiece to match her original hair. That should be ready in a few weeks.

    We're hanging in for the next couple of weeks which should be the worst part of the process, and hopefully we can all relax a little after that.

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  • First big milestone, and a surprise package

      30 April 2025
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    A big milestone achieved yesterday, Xanthea has completed her first full cycle of chemotherapy, meaning we could come back to Ronald McDonald House for the first time as a family, where we can all stay for the next week while her body recovers. Its much more comfortable here so we're appreciating the rest.

    The doctors expect she will need up to 6 rounds of treatment so it's a long road ahead, but we're happy to get through this first stepping stone. When we go back into the hospital next week we know what to expect now which makes things a bit easier.

    Xanthea also got a big care package from the Wellington Phoenix Womens team, which she was extremely excited about. She got loads of goodies, including a full pink kit signed by the whole team, and a signed playing kit from her favourite player, Alyssa Whinham.

    The Phoenix are also supporters of Ronald McDonald House and we're so grateful for the messages and support from the team.

    Huge thank you also to everyone who has donated, this means that we can focus on being here with Xanthea without needing to stress about lost income.

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  • Treatment and Support

      25 April 2025
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    Xanthea started another round of chemotherapy in the last couple of days, the doctors are using a combination of medicines designed to target her cancer in different ways. She is still comfortable and feeling positive, and thankfully hasn't experienced any major side effects yet. We are grateful for the additional support services available, we had a visit from a therapy dog which really cheered her up yesterday. We've also had a stream of other support services come and check in with us which has been really good. Xanthea asked us to also pass on her thanks for all the messages of support from everybody as we move onto the challenge ahead.

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    • 28/04/2025 by Kellie

      Great to hear you are doing ok Xanthea. The dog looks really happy in your company. Take care Sarah, remember to look after yourself too. I'll send a wee parcel this week. :)

  • A moment of peace before the next stage

      22 April 2025

    Xanthea managed to escape her hospital bed yesterday and wander over to ronald mcdonald house with mum and dad. She enjoyed the brief walk in the fresh air and checked out her soon-to-be temporary home.

    She started her 2nd round of chemotherapy today, moving onto a more powerful set of medicines. This means a step up in the challenges that she will face in the coming days. She is fighting really hard and the messages of support from everyone are really helping keep her focused on getting better.

    Mum and dad are taking turns each night sleeping on the fold down bed in xantheas room so someone is with her at all times. We are overwhelmed by the support we have been receiving and are very thankful.

    We will post more updates in the coming days as Xanthea really takes the fight to this cancer. Looking forward to our first big milestone which is to get through these tough doses and transition to outpatient treatment.

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  • A Special Message from the Phoenix Womens Team

      21 April 2025
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    Heres a great picture of the team last night showing their support for Xanthea. We truly appreciate seeing the team get in behind Xanthea, and she cant wait to watch them play again next year.

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  • Football night update

      20 April 2025
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    Xanthea moved up into the child oncology unit yesterday, which has a few more home comforts than the high care unit she was in before, including a window view over a park and gardens.

    She has a couple of days to regroup before the next round of chemo, so we watched the Wellington Phoenix Women play their last game of the season together tonight.

    She got a heartfelt video message from the team earlier today, and they showed their support for her when they scored by holding up a poster with a special message for xanthea on the field. She also got a special mention in her favourite players IG feed.

    Xanthea was so happy to see the team get behind her and cant wait to get back to the games next season.

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