11-year-old Matthew Kirk was convinced he had been bitten by a mosquito when he nose became inflamed during a family trip to Menorca, Spain.
It was until his nostril doubled in size that his concerned parents sought medical help.
“Over a couple of weeks it grew considerably bigger and it was only when a friend made a comment about his swollen nostril that we thought it could be something worse,” Matthew’s mom Joanne told Mirror.co.uk.
While doctors first thought the swelling was caused by a bacterial infection, additional testing revealed it was caused by a deadly cancerous tumor called Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma. This very rare tumor of the connective tissue only affects about 10 people a year according to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Matthew’s parents immediately flew down to Oklahoma where their son would get proton beam therapy. The intense treatment took 9 weeks, and it was done to target and destroy cancerous cells.
“Before treatment, we cut his hair short to stop the hair loss from chemotherapy being so traumatic for him. But he was strong about it all, he covered his head with a cap and would go into school whenever he could, he was so remarkably brave throughout it all,” Matthew’s mom said.
Matthew’s entire community actually helped pay for his family to fly down with him to the U.S., and when they returned to the UK, he underwent a final blast of intensive chemotherapy, and he is now living in the clear.
Joanne says, “When [Matthew] went into the school his classmates gave him a massive cheer and were so happy to see him back after such extreme treatment – it really warmed my heart.”
Dr. Dave Hobin, Matthew’s doctor added, “Matthew’s treatment included intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which can be demanding, especially for young people. Matthew was a real star, showing great courage and determination throughout this nine-month period. We’re really pleased with his progress and delighted to hear he’s enjoying all the things a young person of his age should be.”
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[Featured Image Credit: Caters]
Boy Left With Giant Nose After Mistaking Cancerous Tumor For Mosquito Bite is an article from: LifeDaily