A Scots mum who thought her toddler son was suffering from ‘growing pains’ in his legs was left shell-shocked after discovering he has leukaemia.
Little Ruben Sullivan had just celebrated his third birthday in October last year when he started refusing to walk and waking up crying in the night.
Strange bruises also began appearing on his limbs - which his parents initially thought were caused by play fighting with his brother - but booked a GP appointment just in case.
The doctor immediately sent him for blood tests at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, with mum Hayley Cameron forced to wait in the car outside due to Covid restrictions.
The family's world was “turned upside down” after being told cancer cells had been detected and he was taken to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.
Medics discovered he has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) which is a rare and aggressive cancer that affects white blood cells.
He’s now started a three year chemotherapy treatment plan which will see him make the 120 mile round trip to the hospital several times a week from his home in Largoward.
Mum-of-two Hayley, 28, said: “Ruben had been complaining of having really sore legs and he was waking up through the night crying.
“We thought he had just slept on his legs funny because he was coming up for three, so we thought they were growing pains.
“He started getting these bruises and his ankles but again, he’s got an older brother so we thought they had just been playing rough.
“He had his birthday on October 21 and everything just went downhill from then. When we look back on photos now, we realise he didn’t look that great and was a funny colour.
“A few days after his birthday, he stopped walking at all so we knew something needed to be done.
“I called up the GP practice and they said to bring him in. I honestly thought I was just being a bit silly and they’d think I was a nutter.
“But his dad took him to the doctor and they said something wasn’t right and he needed to go straight to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy for blood tests.
“At the time, you were only allowed one parent in because of the covid restrictions so Stuart took him in and they were doing their checks.
“I was still sitting in the car park when Stuart told me they wanted me to come in. My stomach just dropped and my heart started to race. I knew something wasn’t right.
“They took us into a side room and told us they had detected leukaemia cells in Ruben’s blood but they couldn’t do anything there and we’d have to go to the Edinburgh Sick Kids.
“I don’t remember much after that - I was in complete shock. We got taken to Edinburgh by ambulance with absolutely no idea what was going on.
“We went through A&E and then were taken up to the oncology ward. At the time, I had no idea what that even was.
“The door just didn’t stop after that with people coming in and out to tell us stuff. They did a few more tests and it came back that he has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.”
Despite his ordeal, Ruben continues to take the treatment in his stride and always has a cheery “hello ladies” for the hospital staff.
Hayley admits the shock diagnosis took time to process and has had an impact on the whole family including the couple’s oldest son Rory, eight.
She explained: “When we first went in, we were a bit nervous and it was quite scary. You’re entering a whole new different life which has been turned upside down.
“There are so many children dealing with all different cancers which is just horrible to see. As time has gone on, this is now becoming our normal.
“The children are all so brave and they just carry on. They’re so resilient. We feel like our strength comes from Ruben. He just says ‘let’s do this’. It’s so cute.
“He calls all the nurses ladies and he’s got such a great relationship with all of them.
“But it has had a massive impact on the family. We’ve got an older son who is eight.
“He goes to school and he’ll have to go to his grandparents after school because we’re at the hospital.
“A couple of weeks ago we went in for a routine bone marrow and lumbar puncture and were expecting to be out in a few hours. But they found a rash which was actually shingles.
“So we ended up staying in again. Ruben can spike a temperature at any time and he can catch anything. He’s got no immune system - it’s been wiped completely.”
She added: “We’ve had amazing support from our family though. We just have to get on with it.
“You’re on autopilot for so long and we’ve been through all the different stages from being angry to upset.
“But as a parent, you’ve got no choice but to carry on. Ruben has smiled the whole way through it. He’s very cheeky and feisty. He’s definitely got fire in his belly.
“At the moment, they’re confident that the treatment seems to be working. He’s due another bone marrow analysis in the next couple of weeks so it’s a total waiting game right now.”
A fundraiser has been launched to help the family cover transport and any medical costs while Ruben undergoes treatment.
To donate, please click here.
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