A Penilee mum has spoken of the moment her 'world collapsed' as her five-year-old child was diagnosed with leukaemia.
Stephanie Dalziel, 29, noticed her son, Blake Gallagher, was starting to lose weight in November last year. Doctors first thought the schoolboy was suffering with tonsillitis, however, further tests carried out at the end of last year revealed that Blake had blood cancer.
Symptoms of leukaemia include pale skin, feeling tired or weak, frequent infections, fever, easy bruising such as bleeding gums or bruises in unusual place and joint pain.
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When Stephanie was told the horrific news she didn't know how to react, as the bubbly five-year-old was never unwell.
The loving mum told Glasgow Live: "He had never been an unwell child. It was only around November that he was unwell constantly.
"He only started school in August so I thought it was the usual bugs you'd catch from school, but, something just wasn't right. We took him to A&E because he was losing weight and wasn't eating or drinking.
"It was initially put down as tonsillitis, so we took him home and started on antibiotics but they never helped at all. We went back about a week later and did bloods.
"They came back abnormal and I think they knew what was happening but they didn't want to tell me directly.
"I started to think he might just be anaemic and we'd just need iron tablets. The next day one of the oncology registrars came and spoke to us and said he needed to have a bone marrow test so that's when I thought it was a lot more serious.
"He went in the next day, and it was confirmed that he had Leukaemia. It was such a shock because you never expect that.
"My whole world crashed. I don't even think I cried at the start."
Three days after he received the diagnosis Blake started chemotherapy.
Both Stephanie and her partner, Anthony Gallagher, were also taking care of their young daughter, Ellie-Rose, who was battling an illness of her own.
She explained: "I have a wee girl who was about five months when Blake became unwell.
"The second time he went into A&E she had strep-A, so me and my partner were exhausted, with them being unwell. That night when we went and they told me the diagnosis I felt numb.
"I felt I was living in a nightmare and that I was just going to wake up.
"It properly hit me a few days after. Then it hit me again in the cancer ward because that's when you see the reality that we'd be living.
"I broke down in tears. When I went in everything went through my head."
Having a child battling a life-threatening disease has changed the family's perspective on everything. Stephanie now dreams of the day she can take Blake out to the places he enjoys most.
The 29-year-old said: "I feel like I was taking everything for granted before.
"We would just go to soft play or the park but now we aren't allowed to go because the chemo has knocked his immune system.
"It's horrible to think I'd go to soft play to kill some time but I'd do anything to take him to soft play right now because he is always asking to go but he can't.
"He also used to get a McDonald's on a Friday as a wee treat but he can't have that either. Now I feel like I want to live in the moment and appreciate everyone I've got because you never know when life can change."
No parent ever wants to tell their child that they are fighting cancer.
It is made even more difficult when the child is too young to comprehend the gravity of the situation.
The mother-of-two said: "He is only five so he doesn't fully understand a lot of things.
"He wants to go back to school but he can't. I asked a consultant in a child friendly way how can I explain to my son that he has Leukaemia.
"They said that some parents tell their children that their blood is a bit different from everyone else or tell them they have superhero blood and there's too many superheroes so they need to fix back to normal.
"When he visits the hospital he now always asks if his blood is fixed yet. We tell him it is getting better every time."
Blake is now taking the treatment in his stride despite being understandably nervous at the beginning.
Stephanie said: "Blake is a reserved wee boy, which he gets from me.
"Once he knows you, he is completely fine. He is the typical five-year-old boy really.
"He is superhero and football daft. At the start he was really anxious, when the nurses came near he wasn't having any of it.
"It would take three or four nurses to give him chemo, which is awful to watch as a parent because I know he needs this to get better but it was difficult.
"As he has become familiar, he has been better. The play team always come to help him through it in a child friendly way.
"I tell the play team every time I see them that they are angels sent from above. They show the children how different procedures work using teddy bears.
"They have a teddy hospital where they spend time with the kids."
The 29-year-old health care worker now hopes her family's story can help others who may not have noticed the signs of Leukaemia in their own children.
She said: "The doctors tell you it's rare but it isn't.
"When you are in the ward you realise it isn't as rare as people think. You never think it will happen to you but there is a massive community out there.
"I've spoken to mums throughout the country that say there isn't enough awareness because it still is such a taboo subject
Stephanie now also realises the importance of blood and stem cell donations after seeing the number of children, including her own, that desperately need the help.
The mum is now a registered blood and stem cell donor.
The health care worker explained: "Blake has had at least 10 blood transfusions since December.
"Before, I had a few appointments to give blood but something always came up. Then when he took unwell that was my motivation to give blood.
"I now can see where it goes every time I'm in that ward. I'm now telling other people to do it.
"Joining the stem cell register is also important. We aren't anywhere near needing that, but god forbid if Blake finished his treatment and his cancer returned he'd need a bone marrow transplant.
"So I've joined Anthony Nolan because it is so important. There are so many kids in the ward that had bone marrow transplants."
Glasgow Children's Hospital have ensured that anytime Blake has stayed has been as enjoyable as possible.
The football mad five-year-old even had the chance to meet some Rangers stars during his stay in December.
The thankful mum is now hoping to raise as much money as possible for the Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity by walking 15,000 steps a day for the whole of May.
Stephanie said: "My motivation is obviously the really good cause that is close to my heart.
"I have few people supporting me as well, like my sister-in-law, she's doing it and other people want to come out and join in.
"I'm trying to work my way up to it now. When you are in that space you feel like the only one but then you realise you aren't the only one.
"I can't fault those who work in the Children's hospital."
To donate to the charity click here
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