“We could stay together and that was priceless”: Teddy’s story

In the summer of 2022, three-year-old Teddy began to fall ill in ways no one could explain. What started as repeated infections soon became severe pain, leading his mum, Kat, to trust her instincts that something was deeply wrong. After an ultrasound revealed a large mass on Teddy’s kidney, their world changed in an instant. Days later, Teddy was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer that would demand months of intensive treatment.

As their world shifted, Ronald McDonald House Charities UK became their anchor. The charity kept Kat, Alastair, baby Rupert and Teddy together on the hardest nights, including Christmas spent in hospital. The House offered warmth, stability and a place to breathe while Teddy faced chemotherapy, stem cell transplants, radiotherapy and immunotherapy.

Now, approaching two years off treatment, Teddy continues to face lasting health challenges with remarkable courage. His family look back with deep gratitude for the charity that held them close when life felt most fragile.

When I was on maternity leave with Rupert, I started taking Teddy to our GP. He just didn’t seem himself. Over the next few months, he kept getting ill. It looked like stomach bugs and viruses, but no one else in the family caught them. He wasn’t getting better.

By the time he was three, he had one infection after another. Chest infections. Ear infections. Tonsillitis. In June, he began complaining of tummy pain. Within days it became severe. We took him to A&E, but we were sent home with antibiotics.

Finally, we were offered an ultrasound, after which, everything changed. Doctors found a 12-cm mass on Teddy’s kidney. More tests were needed. As his mum, I knew something was wrong. I had felt it for months. You never want your child to be seriously ill, but you also want answers. When they found the mass, I knew it was serious. I just didn’t expect cancer.

That day, I broke down in the hospital corridor. I knew I had to take Rupert home, but I couldn’t bear to leave Teddy. A nurse came over and told me about Ronald McDonald House Brighton. A place where families could stay close to their child in hospital. In that moment, it felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I didn’t have to leave my three-year-old alone in hospital.

We stayed that night. The House gave us a cot for Rupert. I felt relieved knowing I was only one floor above Teddy. Otherwise, I would have been at home, far away, worrying about him every minute.

Soon after, Teddy had a series of scans. In July, he was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that starts in nerve tissue. We were told he had a 40% chance of survival.

Teddy was transferred from Brighton to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London for treatment. He faced an 18-month plan, six rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, 20 sessions of radiotherapy and six months of immunotherapy. It was so much for a tiny little body to go through.

Christmas 2022 was our first Christmas as a family of four, but we spent it apart. One of us stayed with Teddy while he underwent his stem cell transplant. The other stayed with Rupert in a nearby flat. On Christmas Eve, Teddy took a turn for the worse and developed a lung infection. He was transferred by ambulance to St George’s Hospital in London.  At the time Rupert had a cold, so he was unable to visit Teddy on the ward. It was heartbreaking.   

Eighteen months after diagnosis, Teddy was nearing the end of treatment. He was due to finish his sixth and final round of immunotherapy at the Royal Marsden. But on 23 December 2023, he fell ill again and was admitted to our local hospital in Brighton. Christmas was not going to be the family celebration we had hoped for.

On Christmas Eve, we were given a room at Ronald McDonald House Brighton again. It meant one of us could stay on the ward with Teddy, while the other stayed in the House with Rupert. On Christmas Day, we were all able to be by Teddy’s bedside. He had a stocking waiting for him, Father Christmas visited, and the nurses made the day as special as possible.

Back at the House, there was a Christmas buffet, presents for both boys, and a chance to rest. Rupert watched Christmas TV while we took a breath. Being together on Christmas Day meant everything.

Even after treatment ended in January 2024, Teddy still needed regular hospital admissions as his immune system was very weak. He also had a central line, which meant any fever required a hospital stay. Sometimes we were back every two or three weeks.

Earlier this year, Teddy travelled to the United States for a maintenance treatment, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It wasn’t available in Europe. We had to fund the travel ourselves, but thankfully the trial drug was free. We stayed at the Ronald McDonald House Central Pennsylvania. It was huge, with multiple kitchens and play areas for the boys. We couldn’t believe it.

Teddy is now nearly two years off treatment. He currently has no evidence of disease. But he faces lasting health challenges from the harsh treatments that saved him. He has kidney disease, permanent hearing loss, chronic nerve pain and long-term gastrointestinal issues. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are powerful treatments. They can also cause lifelong complications.

Time at home is now precious. We are finally learning what life looks like as a family of four, without rushing between hospitals. Rupert was so young when everything began. It feels like we are only just finding our feet.

Many people don’t realise what Ronald McDonald House Charities UK does, or what families go through when a child becomes seriously ill. Often, children need specialist treatment far from home and families face huge challenges. The House gave us a place to cook, to do laundry and to breathe. During short stays, we used a Day Pass so Teddy could play and eat his favourite foods at the House. It became a lifeline for our family.

At Christmas, the House meant we could stay together and that was priceless. Nothing mattered more than being by Teddy’s side.

We will always be grateful for the support of Ronald McDonald House Charities UK. The Brighton House became our safe place when our world fell apart. It kept our family together when we needed it most.