Five hours from her home in Narrabri, 18-month-old Avery Morris snoozes in her pram at a Newcastle hospital. Her mother says this isn't where they thought they'd be for Christmas. Login or signup to continue reading Diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, a rare cancer-like disease,her mother Brogan Morris said it was an uphill battle for Avery to make it to the John Hunter Hospital.
Ms Morris and her daughter are among the many families at Newcastle's Ronald McDonald House who will spend Christmas in and out of the oncology ward. Ms Morris first noticed something was wrong when her then nine-month-old had a lump on her head, a smell in her ear and bad breath. Finally, after eight months, they were referred to a paediatrician in Tamworth.
Several x-rays and ultrasounds later, she was transferred to Newcastle. "I sort of felt like the crazy woman that was taking her child to the doctor for attention, I knew something was wrong with her, but no one was listening," Ms Morris said. Doctors initially thought she had a fracture from when she had fallen off the bed at six months old but an MRI and further tests revealed the rare disease.
"I just kept pushing until we got here," Ms Morris said. "It was a very big shock to the system." While this isn't what they planned for the festive season, Ms Morris said she wasn't overly fussed because her priority was her daughter's health.
Avery's father and brother were visiting for Christmas, and Ms Morris' parents often visited to give.
