Heartbreak as son's 'growing pains' turn out to be much worse

A “fit and healthy” teenager who was meant to be preparing for GCSEs is instead facing health battle initially thought to be growing pains or a football injury.

 Jack Douglas, from Cheshire, developed leg pain last September, and he and his mum, Jemma, initially suspected it was from playing football in the garden, News.Az reports, citing Cheshire-live.

Jemma, 40, took him back to the GP when his pain continued, but said an X-ray revealed no abnormalities. By January, Jack had developed a limp, but Jemma said his GP continued to say it was “nothing serious”.

After the 15-year-old's physiotherapist urged Jemma to take him to hospital in February, he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma of the spine, a rare and aggressive form of cancer affecting the bones. Jack has suffered severe chemotherapy side effects, including complete hair loss, significant weight loss and difficulty walking. 

Thankfully, his condition is now improving. The tumour has shrunk from 84 x 110 x 60mm to 60 x 80 x 45mm, and he has regained some mobility.

Jemma, who works in children’s services, told PA Real Life: “When we told Jack his diagnosis it broke his heart, we never expected it to be this. It’s been absolutely horrendous. Jack has been so positive – he makes us better people.

“You spend your life protecting your children and then when something like this happens, you feel like your hands are tied and there’s nothing you can do. It just breaks me to see him go through it, but he’s so strong.”

Jemma said Jack had “always been really active”, playing football multiple times a week, going to the gym and socialising with friends. "He’s just a really happy chappy, with a gorgeous personality – everyone loves him and his heart is huge,” she added.

In September, Jemma said Jack began suffering leg pain. "He was at a sleepover at his friend’s house, and he’d been playing football in the garden, and then that night he developed a pain in his leg,” she recalled."We didn’t really think anything of it, and it went away later the next day. It came back the same week, so we thought he had an injury."A few weeks later, the pain had not subsided, so Jemma took him to the doctors. He had an X-ray which she said did not show “anything to worry about”, putting their “minds at ease”.

However, the pain persisted, so Jemma took Jack back to his GP, and he was referred to a physiotherapist. By January, Jack had developed a limp, and Jemma said his GP reassured him during multiple appointments that it was most likely a muscular injury, sciatica or growing pains.

Jemma said: “If he wasn’t my child I’d honestly think he was making the pain up because he would say it was hurting, then it was fine, and the pain would be in one leg, then the other, then his back.”

However, at his second physiotherapy appointment on February 5, Jemma said the physiotherapist said he could tell “something was wrong”. He advised Jemma to take Jack to see his doctor immediately, and after completing some forms, Jack underwent a bladder scan, as well as other tests, at Leighton Hospital in Crewe.

The scan revealed that his bladder was not emptying fully. Jemma added: “Doctors basically said there were some clues that something was stopping the nerves sending messages to Jack’s bladder, and they requested an urgent MRI scan.”

On February 6, Jack had the MRI, and during the scan, Jemma said a nurse told her to ring her husband. She said: “I just knew they were going to tell us something horrible then.” Once Jemma’s husband and mother arrived, the doctor informed them Jack had Ewing sarcoma of the spine.

Jack said: “I was so shocked to receive the diagnosis. One day, I’ll take the physiotherapist out for a pint. I want to thank him for pushing us to get the scans."

The next morning Jack had a CT scan which "thankfully" revealed the cancer had not spread. Jemma said he was transferred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool that evening to begin emergency chemotherapy.

He underwent a bone marrow test which later showed cancerous cells that had not formed a tumour, which Jemma said meant his diagnosis changed to metastatic Ewing sarcoma. He started his chemotherapy on February 23, quickly losing all his hair.

Jemma said: “That was really upsetting. Jack loves his hair, he sometimes goes to the hairdressers once every two weeks if he has a party!”

Jemma said he also felt very sick, struggling to eat. At 5ft 7in tall, he went from 53.5kg to 49.2kg in a matter of months, and had a feeding tube fitted.

She said his mobility declined leaving him barely able to walk, and Jemma had to have an extra banister fitted to the stairs and a toilet installed in his room to make it more accessible. However, since having more treatment and receiving a trial chemotherapy drug, his condition has improved – he can now walk again using a stick, and his tumour has shrunk.

Jemma said Jack has found the entire period very difficult. Currently in Year 11, he was meant to be sitting his GCSE exams this year and has “missed out” on socialising wit his mates. She added: “During chemotherapy we’ve also had to be really careful of infections. He could stand at the door and see his friends, but he used to be out with them all the time, he’s such a sociable guy.”

Jemma and her husband Thomas, 41, say they have worked as a team to look after Jack as well as their other four children, Ellie, 21, Jamie, 18, Daisy, 11, and Harry, three.

She said: "We all try to spend time with each other individually and if I take Jack to chemotherapy, Thomas stays with the rest of the kids. It has been really hard though – it’s hard keeping up with all of his medication each day, I feel like I could be a nurse at this point."

Jack has six rounds of chemotherapy to go, followed by a further bone marrow test and CT and MRI scans. Jemma’s sisters, Kayley and Jade, set up a fundraiser for the family to help with travel costs and caring for Jack.

She said: "Everyone has been amazing. I’ve had a hamper off all the mums at football, and loads of people have donated, like a local community cafe and Jack’s football club, I can’t really believe it.

"The money can go towards something nice for Jack too – maybe he can get a nice new car because he’s hopefully going to be doing his driving lessons next year.

"I want him to have something nice after this is all over. All we can do now is hope for the best."

Jemma also had advice to other parents. She said: "Trust your gut if you believe something isn't right, and make sure you're aware of all the symptoms.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova