Aiden Waller, 15, was diagnosed with a brain tumour last week and is currently facing his third battle with cancer after scans earlier last year found he had developed tumours in his lungs.
The devastating news has forced Aiden, from Benfleet, to stop taking experimental trial drugs which have had a positive impact – reducing the size of the tumours in his lungs – since March.
Happy – Aiden Waller (Image: Sarah Waller)
Despite the terrible news, Aidan has told his mum, Sarah Waller, that he will continue to fight and the family are holding out hope that Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital will be able to operate on the tumour.
Sarah said: “We must stay positive, Aiden has said that he will fight and even this morning he was showing me funny novelty glasses that he wants to go with a costume for a Pokémon tournament.
“Aiden has thought about this, it is awful, and you can never prepare yourself for this, but we have all had the realisation of how bad this situation is.
Festive – Aiden in December (Image: Sarah Waller)
“We are calm right now because we are holding onto hope Great Ormond Street will do surgery, but if they take another approach we would get a new routine that will cause huge disruption to life.
“Our anxiety is running high and Aiden has had a chat with Little Havens.
“He said that his head is clearer now and that he hates all of it, he is calmer but he has that dread of what will come next.”
Family – Aiden and Sarah (Image: Sarah Waller)
Sarah is also desperate to fundraise for Aiden’s wish to see Japan around March and April, with £5,975 currently raised of £20,000.
She added: “That is a true goal, we are really trying to fundraise for it.
“We wanted to try and get Aiden there for the blossom festival and we are still trying to do that.”
In February 2022, Aiden was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, an aggressive and rare form of bone cancer found in children – leading to the removed of his femur and his knee. He has since undergoing a replacement with a metal prosthetic.
To donate, visit gofundme.com/f/road-to-japan-for-cancer-tean