In this episode we sit down with Doireann Cassidy, her son Harry was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour in 2022 when he was 6.
Harry has the NF1 gene. Harry’s father and grandfather have it so the family would have looked out for lumps on the body but to date everyone has been well so there wasn’t too much concern but Harry developed a non-cancerous lump, a tumour on his brain.
Even though the tumour was benign, he needed 85 weeks of chemo in Crumlin which took its toll on his body like any other patient.
The family had to adapt, his sisters had to move school to accommodate the new routine, but they found their rhythm and today Harry is doing really well despite the lasting impact on his mobility.
He has been supported by the NRH (National Rehabilitation Hospital) is using assistive technology for writing in school and is looking for new sports that suits his physical disability.
We also talk about how their story while not cancer had similar challenges due to the duration of chemo, the anxiety over the brain tumour and their hesitance to receive the much needed support.
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