I'd noticed a prominent lump in Oliver's neck that prompted me to take him to see the GP, who then referred us to the hospital.
He'd been a well baby and met all expected milestones and initially the doctors at the hospital thought this to just be viral. However, his symptoms continued and one day he became very fussy and lethargic. Again, we returned to the GP who referred us to the hospital for a second time.
During this visit, they felt a lump in his tummy and his blood results came back as abnormal. An X-ray was then carried out which showed a shadow on his kidney. After further tests, this was later confirmed as Wilms tumour. Oliver was diagnosed as stage 3 and the tumour had taken over so much of his left kidney that it needed to be removed.
Oliver went on to have surgery to remove his kidney followed by 26 weeks of chemotherapy and eight sessions of radiotherapy to reduce his chances of relapse. He took all of his treatment in his stride, even the many stays in hospital due to illnesses as a result of his immune system being so low.
Although Oliver didn't display many signs and symptoms of cancer, we're thankful that we had a very cautious GP who acted very quickly in referring him for further testing and we believe this aided his quick diagnosis and treatment.
Oliver is now six years in remission and has been discharged from oncology follow-up after consistently clear scans. He will continue to attend annual ‘late effects’ appointments to monitor any potential long-term effects of his treatment and to support and educate him in leading a healthy lifestyle as he moves into adolescence and adulthood, especially as he now has only one kidney.
Looking at him now, you would never know what he has been through. He is an active, thriving, and happy boy who loves being outdoors and getting his knees dirty!
Last updated June 2026
