– Thalia is an incredibly smart and enthusiastic child. She loves gymnastics and being outdoors while exploring.
This is how Chris Toseland from Sheffield in England describes his ten-year-old daughter to Dagbladet.
The last few days have been dominated by long hospital stays for the small family of two adults and two daughters.
Thalia only has a few months left to live.
– Everything has gone so fast. It’s amazing how resilient children can be. Not only do they have the ability to fight. They can also see the positive in life and find the strength to enjoy every moment.
Lost strength and control
It started in February this year. The ten-year-old came to her parents and complained that she had become weak in her left hand.
At first the parents weren’t particularly worried, they thought it might be something muscular.
ACTIVE: Thalia loves to go on discovery trips, says dad Chris Toseland. Photo: Private
sea view
But within just under a month, the fun-loving schoolgirl began to gradually lose both strength and control over her hand.
– Finally, her left foot also started to be affected. We then went to her GP to seek medical help, says Toseland.
Got the wrong diagnosis: Julia (13) died
Couldn’t dress himself
When the doctor had examined Thalia, it was decided that she should be referred for neurological assessment. During the following week, while the family waited for the referral to arrive, the condition of the girl’s arm further deteriorated.
Finally, the girl was so weak in her arm that she was completely unable to dress herself.
– Thalia was immediately referred to the hospital, Toseland tells Dagbladet.
– After a CT scan was carried out to find the cause, the doctors discovered the tumour.
– Says I deserved to get cancer
Affects five Norwegian children annually
Thalia was diagnosed with diffuse pons glioma (DIPG). Children’s Cancer Association describes it as one of the most serious and common forms of cancer.
In Norway, around five children are affected by the aggressive disease each year, most often children aged ten and younger.
The cancerous tumors grow in the middle part of the brain and put pressure on the part that controls the patient’s motor function.
The average lifespan is nine months.
As of today, there is no effective treatment for DIPG. According to the Norwegian Children’s Cancer Association, the patient is treated with radiation and chemotherapy for a short-term recovery.
Can’t stop the weight loss: – Terrified
Not ready to process
Toseland says that he thought it was bad enough to learn that cancer had been found in his daughter. Even worse was having to deal with the fact that there was nothing that could be done to make her well again.
– As a parent, how do you cope with having to deal with something like this?
– That is an incredibly difficult question. Things have moved so fast, with operations to reduce the pressure in her skull. In addition, she receives radiotherapy to shrink the tumor and keep it calm.
OUT ON A TRIP: Thalia and dad Chris out on a trip together. Photo: Private
sea view
Toseland says they haven’t really had time to process everything that is happening to the little family.
– We probably won’t be able to do it until we get close to the end. Now it’s about making the most of every day, even if we live like a nightmare.
Jan Harald has a “taboo disease”: – Kinky
Less focus on brain cancer
Chris Toseland currently runs a cancer research laboratory at the University of Sheffield. According to him, brain cancer research is not allocated the same amount of financial resources compared to other forms of cancer.
– There are treatment regimens available for many forms of cancer, but when it comes to DIPG there has been no change for 50-60 years, he explains.
Radiation treatment is currently the only option and then only as a temporary measure. There is nothing long-term. Now Toseland wants to raise awareness about diffuse pons gliomas.
– The loss of a child changes both family and friends forever.
Got cancer – blame the doctor
Twitter prayer
In a desperate attempt to find forms of treatment that might help, Toseland wrote and shared a post on Twitter asking for help.
To Dagbladet, he describes the response as “incredible”.
– As a cancer researcher, I took to Twitter to reach out to my cancer-related contacts. But the message was amplified so much more. We have been able to build connections with charities and other families, he says enthusiastically.
– Most of all, we realize how much attention must be paid to children’s brain cancer. Families need alternatives and I hope that in 5-10 years we will have suitable treatment options at the clinic.
Tremors were a serious illness
Impressed with the daughter
When asked how Thalia herself has coped with learning that she has a cancer for which there is no effective treatment, Toseland replies that her daughter has impressed everyone.
– She has coped with the situation incredibly well. She has recovered from the operations and is undergoing radiotherapy, he says.
According to her father, Thalia has recently become increasingly weaker on the left side of her body.
– It has been good to see her enjoying her time with her friends and also getting to enjoy normal moments in life. Then we’ll see how it goes after the radiation treatment.
