Boy from Hull who was told his cancer was constipation ‘will never walk again’

October 17, 2016

Daniel Carter complained of stomach pain but was told he was constipated
Pain got so bad he was found lying on the floor unable to move or walk
In hospital a CT scan revealed he had a cancerous neuroblastoma tumour
Surgery to remove a part of it damaged badly damaged his spinal cord
It has left him reliant on a wheelchair and doctors say he won’t walk again

Stephen Matthews For Mailonline

Published:
07:40 EST, 17 October 2016

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Updated:
09:54 EST, 17 October 2016

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A five-year-old boy who was told his stomach pains were due to constipation but was diagnosed with a rare cancer has been told he will never walk again.

Daniel Carter, from Hull, complained of pains for months but was sent home by doctors with Calpol.

When his parents discovered him lying on the carpet in agony he was rushed to hospital where a CT scan revealed a cancerous tumour.

He underwent an emergency four-hour operation to remove part of the tumour, a neuroblastoma which had spread from his chest to his spine.

But the procedure which removed the majority of the tumour also damaged his spine – leaving him unable to walk and reliant on a wheelchair.

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Daniel Carter, from Hull, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after he was rushed to hospital for urgent tests when his parents found him collapsed at home

He is now set to undergo another eight months of treatment following a further 10-hour operation later this week.

His mother Katie said: ‘Daniel is really cheeky, he is always full of smiles no matter what.

‘Because he is so young he doesn’t fully get how ill he is, but we have just said to him that he is really poorly and he doesn’t even ask.

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‘What he’s been through is so much, especially for a five-year-old, but he has been absolutely amazing.’

Daniel had been suffering from stomach pains for many months, but his GP claimed it was just constipation.

But just weeks later, the family walked into his room to see him laying on the floor unconscious.

He was forced to undergo six months of chemotherapy and an initial operation which removed most of the tumour damaged his spine – leaving him unable to walk and reliant on a wheelchair (pictured with mother, Katie and father, Kevin)

He was immediately rushed to hospital, where he was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma – a cancer of specialised nerve cells involved in the development of the nervous system.

It affects fewer than 100 children in the UK every year – and he underwent a four-hour operation to remove part of the growth.

During the operation, they found the lump – originally found in his chest – had spread to his spinal cord.

But his spine has been left damaged following the operation.

Mrs Carter said: ‘The first bit of his operation also damaged his spine. After that operation we were told he would never walk again.

‘It’s awful but at the end of the day I said at least he is going to have the rest of his life.’

He is now set to undergo another eight months of treatment following a further 10-hour operation later this week

When he was found collapsed, he was immediately rushed to hospital, where they found he had a neuroblastoma – a cancer of specialised nerve cells

CHILDHOOD CANCER AFFECTS LESS THAN 100 YOUNGSTERS A YEAR

Neuroblastoma is a cancer of specialised nerve cells in the nervous system and other tissues.

Fewer than 100 children in the UK are diagnosed each year with the disease.

Most children diagnosed with the disease are younger than five years old.

Neuroblastoma commonly occurs in either one of the two adrenal glands in a child’s tummy or in nerve tissue that runs alongside the spinal cord, in the neck, chest, abdomen or pelvis.

The cancer can spread to tissues beyond the original site, including bone marrow, bone, lymph nodes, liver and skin.

As with most cancers the cause of neuroblastoma is unknown.

The first signs can be vague, and include tiredness, a loss of appetite and pain in the bones.

Source: Macmillan Cancer Support

Now, the family have teamed up with a local charity to raise £9,000 to help convert his garden into an accessible and safe play area.

Mrs Carter said a new garden would ‘mean the world’ to Daniel and they would be grateful for any help they could get.

Currently, where they live their garden is not safe and has many many tripping hazards, the family say.

Mrs Carter added: ‘Because he’s in his chair he is not able to go out as much and is tripping himself up and it’s not really safe for him to be out there.

‘He loves being outside and it really means the world to him. When we first met the charity Daniel was just really excited and was asking him to come over and do it straight away.

‘It would just be so much better for him, because he could be out there and play with his brother as well.’

David Freer, of Nice 2b Nice, said he has donated a third of the money needed and is appealing for any businesses or individuals who can donate money towards the garden to come forward.

He said: ‘We want to make the garden accessible for him so he can be outside.

‘He is only five and is he going through so much and he deserves a place outside he can play in.’

Donations of £3 can be made to Daniel’s cause by texting LFK NICE to 70300 or through www.virginmoneygiving.com/Nice2bNice.