Baillie Kerby’s brother Willy has beaten child cancer and both young men have turned to promoting the cause.
The 10-year-old Enner Glynn School student has lived through his brother’s treatment for neuroblastoma after he was diagnosed with the disease, which affects the sympathetic nervous system, in February last year.
Willy, who is now five, has recently been declared cancer-free after many cycles of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to remove his cancer tumour.
Their mother, Sarah Kerby, says Willy featured as a Child Cancer Foundation Star (promoter) this year and Baillie had also been involved in promoting the cause.
“It means a lot to us that we could use what we’ve been through to support other people to give back and try and raise awareness of this organisation.”
Sarah says it was emotional to see Enner Glynn School students wearing their wigs to support the national fundraiser, Wig Wednesday, last week to raise funds for the Child Cancer Foundation.
The fundraiser is a way for the public to show their support for tamariki who have the disease and undergo shaving their heads for treatment.
“[Willy’s] just beaten all the odds and made a full recovery. We found out about two weeks ago he is cancer-free, and he’s just at school like a normal five-year-old again, which is quite surreal,” she says. “A few little scars on his tummy but otherwise you wouldn’t know he used to have cancer.”
Sarah says the risk of her son’s cancer returning is at its highest within the next year, but she, Baillie and the family were “absolutely thrilled” and “really grateful” for the prognosis.
“The prognosis for neuroblastoma has gone up to 50 per cent now, which is really cool.”
When Willy was first diagnosed after experiencing sore legs, ear infections and unusual illnesses, he was transported to Christchurch Hospital to begin treatment, with Sarah travelling with him to provide support.
Willy had also been treated at Starship Hospital in Auckland.
Baillie says it was “really hard” coming to terms with his brother’s diagnosis but he had gained an understanding of the importance of staying connected with cancer patients and the support of others.
“I’ve gone to visit him, I’ve played lots of games with him, we have a baby sausage dog called Bruiser so we like to take the dog to the dog park lots,” he says.
“[The support] means a lot, I can’t even explain it, it just means so much to me, when [Willy] was bald I was worried, he was going to go to school bald and be bullied for not having hair.”
Baillie says staying strong and spending as much time with your loved one who has been diagnosed with cancer is the best approach other kids can take.
“Whoever loved one of yours has cancer, support them as much as you can and stay strong… spend lots and lots of time with them because who knows, you may never see them again, that’s what I thought when Willy got diagnosed.”
