Marley 9 Years On
On this day 9 years ago, single mother Kerrin Hampson received the heartbreaking news that her 15-month-old son Marley had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. The news came after Kerrin had enough of doctors telling her that there was nothing wrong with her son, that his lethargy and loss of appetite was caused by a virus that he would just have to ride out.
Kerrin’s mothers’ instinct led her to take Marley to the hospital despite what the doctors had told her.
“I remember it like it was yesterday.” Says Kerrin. “I fed myself, Morris and his sister, made sure they were cared for and then drove to Fremantle ED. The nurse looked at Marley and called the on-call paediatrician straight away. He was quite concerned”
After his diagnosis on 1 July 2010, Marley was taken directly to the children’s hospital by ambulance, being too fragile for Kerrin to drive him herself. The next three years saw Marley undergo intense therapies which left him tired and ill.
His treatment finished in August 2013 but he is still dealing with the side effects to this day. The harsh treatment has left Marley with cognitive and executive functioning issues, needing the help of tutors and occupational therapy.
“9 years later he had a weekend of adventure and friends. He has scars that run deeper than I thought possible, and still struggles but he is here.” Says a grateful Kerrin. “We are lucky. I will band on until the end of time to raise awareness and funding to help kids and their families with support and research.”
Marley continues to be an ambassador for CLCRF and has attended several functions over the years with his mum and brother to help raise awareness for cancer research.
More research is still needed for better outcomes for children with cancer. By donating to CLCRF, you can help us to not only increase the chances of survival, but also fund research into more effective protocols for drug treatment therapy.