Real Stories: Katie and Josh’s family story

Josh’s diagnosis

Five-year-old, Joshua (Josh) was diagnosed with Leukaemia in 2017.

Josh is the rebel out of his two brothers Ollie and Albie. He loves alligators, Metallica and playing the drums with his dad. His mother Katie shares how difficult it was trying to manage a family of five.

“The cancer diagnosis came as a complete shock. There was no reason for us to suspect Josh was sick, other than a fever. I remember very clearly getting the call from the GP. It was 8:50am in the morning and I was trying to get all three boys into the car to drop Ollie at school. Josh was going to preschool at the time and Albie was in the baby capsule ready to be strapped into the car. Pathology rang and the voice said, “I’m looking at Joshua’s blood results and I have some serious concerns. I think you should go straight to the local emergency department’.”

Doctors eventually gave Katie the diagnosis. “I remember just trying to process the words thinking, ‘Oh my god, he has leukaemia. Leukaemia. This is real. They are cutting into my child’s body tomorrow to make a hole that goes into his heart to fill him full of chemo because he has Leukaemia.’ And it hit me hard later that night, once he was beeping away on the ward, with me next to him curled up in the hospital armchair bed, my fists balled into my mouth just trying not to choke with horror. Gasping for air at the shock of it. It was absolutely horrendous.”

During his treatment, Josh became physically unrecognisable.

“It was awful. The steroids made his face so puffy; he could hardly see out of his eyes. For Josh, the discomfort of that was just incredible. I don’t know how he tolerated it – I don’t know how he fell asleep, I don’t know how he walked around.”

‘’It’s a terrifying feeling as a parent. There’s no way around that. You live with fear for a sustained amount of time, months, years of treatment.

Surrounded by support

Katie recalls being surrounded with offers of support from people in her community.

“One of the things that really helped out was friends and neighbours set up a meal roster, so on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays dinner would be dropped off on the doorstep.”

The family’s introduction to Redkite was when they were given the Red Bag.  They accessed phone-based counselling and Katie attended connect groups. The family also accessed financial assistance to pay for car registration and the electricity bill and used the food and petrol vouchers.

“Redkite was also absolutely incredible. They were there with us every step of the way.”

Josh completed his cancer treatment five years ago, and now, at 12 years old, he embraces life with both hands! 

“We can really see how his experience has left him with a stratospherically high level of enthusiasm for any opportunity! There are so many absolutely terrible aspects to going through cancer as a child, but we have found that it has gifted us with perspective, gratitude and strength.”  

When he’s not racing around playing cricket, football or hockey, Josh is bashing away on the drums.