The start of school is usually a bittersweet milestone for most parents – and one that’s likely to be especially so for mum Marnie Higgs of Victoria.
Her youngest child Freddie, who is five, is starting school next month, and while he couldn’t be more excited, the event is an emotional time for the family.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Mrs Higgs shared how her son, who was born following three rounds of IVF, also survived stage three kidney cancer as an infant.
Marnie Higgs, (pictured left) with Freddie (pictured right). The mum-of-two said Freddie’s school start comes at the end of a long journey for the family
The mother-of-two also revealed how she had been beset with postnatal depression not long after her son was born, and had experienced ongoing struggles.
Mrs Higgs said Freddie’s first day of school is one that’s come at the end of a long journey, and one the family have only let themselves think about more recently.
‘For a long time we didn’t let ourselves think about him starting school because we knew it would be close to the five-year milestone of him being cancer-free.
A routine ultrasound discovered a tumour on Freddie’s kidney just before he turned one
‘We knew the survival rates were about 70 per cent for his type of cancer; basically one in three families didn’t live to see that five year milestone.’
She continued: ‘We didn’t really let ourselves think about it.’
Mrs Higgs explained that a tumour was found on Freddie’s kidney unintentionally as part of a routine ultrasound just before her son turned one.
The family spent a harrowing 12 weeks after Freddie’s surgery waiting to see if surgeons had been able to remove all of the cancer from his body
She said there weren’t any symptoms that alerted the parents anything was wrong with their son.
‘We were quite fortunate to have found it when we did even though we were hopeful it was going to be stage one or stage two.’
Symptoms of kidney cancer can often reveal the disease has progressed to a much more serious stage.
Freddie has now passed the five-year milestone of being cancer- free, and while the family are overjoyed they still live with the fear it may return
‘But once he had his kidney removed we found out it was stage three which meant it was outside the kidney and also in lymph nodes which was another shock to us.’
Additionally, because of the type of cancer Freddie had he wasn’t able to be treated with chemotherapy or radiation, meaning surgery was the only option.
‘It’s very rare for a child to get this type of kidney cancer, but almost unheard of for an infant to get it. But we had a really great team working with us,’ she said.
Though there were no complications following the surgery, Mrs Higgs revealed that it was a tense time for the family in the 12 weeks that followed while they waited for the results of his first scan.
Freddie will start school in February as a healthy, and happy five-year-old, Mrs Higgs revealed
‘We had to pretend everything was okay until that first scan when they were going to check to see if it had spread.
‘And fortunately we found out the great news, they couldn’t see the cancer anywhere else.’
The Higgs family recently celebrated Freddie’s fifth year cancer-free. It’s something the family are overjoyed about despite the fact there are lingering concerns it could return.
Marine Higgs (pictured right) with her husband Matt (pictured left) who plans on taking the day off work to be there for his boy’s first day
Since his operation, Freddie hasn’t suffered any ill-effects from the disease, so he will be starting school as a healthy boy in February.
‘Freddie is beyond excited about starting school. When we first picked up his polo shirt he wore it for about six days straight. We couldn’t get it off him.’
But the mum-of-two confessed the day is likely to be an incredibly emotional one for her and her husband.
‘Matt has already taken the day off he starts school because we both know that he will be a mess.
Freddie couldn’t be more excited about his first day and hasn’t taken off his school uniform since the day it was bought, revealed Mrs Higgs
‘We’ve said to him we might cry, and he’s said “Well, I’m not going to cry”; we explained to him that we’re just so excited about him starting school.’
Mrs Higgs said there will be tears on the day
Mrs Higgs said the family have always been open about their feelings.
‘We take the view that sometimes mummies and daddies can be sad, and that’s okay.
‘We’re trying to bring our kids up to realise that it’s okay to be sad, and it’s okay to be worried and it’s okay to be anxious, but as a family we’re there to support each other.
‘As a family, we’re there for each other and that’s what Freddie will see if I do cry on that first day. We’re all there together and we’re there to support each other,’ she concluded.
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