For Harry - Fighting Osteosarcoma
Donation protected
We are delighted for you to meet Harry, a brave, friendly, and spirited young man who, at the age of just eight years old, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer.
Harry is surrounded by love, with a wonderfully caring older brother, a loving Dad, and a strong, devoted single Mum who herself faced a Breast Cancer diagnosis just last year.
For a family fighting against the elements of childhood cancer, the burden is emotional, physical, and financial. While we are lucky enough to live in a country where Medicare will cover much of our medical costs, the time required to support a child through constant hospital visits and treatments leaves many families unable to work. Furthermore, the expenses rise when travelling for hours to reach the nearest children's hospital and accommodation for days on end.
Harry's Helpers are here to support this incredible family, and with the assistance of our local Illawarra community, we hope the ease the financial difficulty they face by fundraising enough money to assist with the years of treatment ahead.
Join us in supporting Harry and his family as they begin a long and exhausting journey battling childhood cancer.
Join Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItsForHarry/
Join Us n Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its.for.harry/
Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Its_For_Harry
The Story So Far...
We will let Leona, one of the wonderful ladies on our Harry's Helpers team explain the story so far:
Harry has Osteosarcoma. He is 8.
Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer that begins in the cells that form bones. Osteosarcoma is most often found in the long bones — more often the legs, but sometimes the arms — but it can start in any bone.
In the first week of February 2021, little Harry was complaining of a sore hip. Next thing he and his family were taking him for tests on a tumor.
There was a ray of hope that it was not cancer but a scan at Westmead Children’s Hospital confirmed the worst. A biopsy on the 11th Feb confirmed it was Osteosarcoma and what the treatment would be.
Before I tell you about how that unfolded, I want to tell you about Harry’s mum, Jenny.
Jenny is a loving and giving soul with an almost unwavering positive and cheery nature. She loves supporting local mums and dads through her business (Parents Guide Illawarra) and also the local businesses she helps with their marketing to them.
Jenny had a particularly tough 2020 (I know we all did but hers really sucked).
In March just before covid took off, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Her treatment included surgery and radiotherapy, along with a life-long hormone treatment regime. It was scary and stressful but she was lucky. She is now cancer-free.
However, needless to say, her year was turned on its end and as a result, her plans to grow and expand her business were put on hold.
Then this happened to Harry!. It’s so much easier for me to explain what happened in her own words….
She messaged me (11/2/2021)
“Mega update time....
- Harry is unbelievable. He is showing such courage and humour already, intermingled with tears and anger. Good to get that out as we know. But it’s been mild so far given how extreme this has been on him
- early results show cancer is likely Osteo (something) sarcoma and NOT Ewing’s
- that’s means it’s chemo and surgery only (as radio won’t work on this cancer)
- both cancers have similar outcomes / and treatments with chemo
- it’s gonna take a year plus to get Harry right. Maybe more. They said he would be a patient for 3 years
- they think 3mths-ish of chemo initially
- then surgery with possible prosthesis for some of the bone
- his mobility may be impacted and certainly no contact sports or anything advanced
- then 6mth more chemo after that to mop up the bad cells as this cancer travels as most bone cancers do
- that it hasn’t likely spread is so amazing. Means it’s treatable with favourable outcomes and a decent 5y survival rate
- chemo likely starts next wed and we will be in hospital for four days maybe more depending on how Harry tolerates it
- we got so much training today on his central line and all the protocols for keeping it clean and safe
- most of the next year will be spent in hospital!! Not just for treatment but as soon as he gets fever even a mild one we go straight to emergency for antibiotics as he will be immune system compromised
- the team of docs and nurses are amazing, I’m already in awe.
- we will get our boy through this. It’s going to be bloody awful. Can’t sugar coat it. With rays of light and absolute appreciation for the opportunity and healthcare to get him back on his feet (literally) and living a decent healthy life
- focusing on the now and the next week only to keep self sane
- drove home from hospital and remembered all I have to be grateful for
- Cath looked after Sam today, cooked me dinner and made me a fat gin and tonic. Can’t tell you how amazing that was to come home to
- massive day and I’ve not really processed it all. Not cried yet but no doubt the torrents will fall soon!
Love to all xxxx”
I can tell you, I cried for her reading this.
NEXT UPDATE (15/2/2021)
“Hi all, just got biopsy results and they were right it’s OsteoSarcoma. Doctor Luce is our head honcho here and he said he fully expects to get Harry well but as they have to say, not every patient they have gets well.
- Treatment is 10 weeks of chemo initially at high doses as they want to kill over 90% of tumour.
- After that chemo it’s surgery and bone / hip replacement
- then a four week recovery from surgery
- If 90% + of tumour they remove from surgery is dead it’s a very good outlook
- Then the next phase of chemo treatment for 20 weeks follows
- If less than 90% of tumour is dead they have to raise levels of chemo and it’s much more dangerous for key organs and hearing. He may also suffer infertility when older. Nothing can really be done about that unfortunately it will be wait and see…
Harry at that point said he didn’t want babies anyway!!
We’ve both cried a lot today. The grim reality is here. But it’s made bearable by amazing staff and Harry’s fortitude and humour. And by the fact that we can get him well, they fully expect to get him well. I’m going to say that again.
We will get him well!!!!!
- chemo likely starts tomorrow (Tuesday)
- first day is flushing kidneys to best protect them then chemo starts day after
- in this first stage it’s causes nausea and vomiting but they give lots of anti-nausea stuff to help but likelihood Harry will be off food and queasy if not very spewy
- cell count drops and hair falls out around 10 days after treatment starts
- then we at risk of infection and fever
So nothing is unexpected from today and hearing the words ‘we fully expect to get Harry well’ has helped a lot xxxxx”
NEXT UPDATE (24/2/2021)
“Had the worst week post chemo with Harry. Bounced in and out of hospital with severe vomiting and dehydration but he's much better today and we came home!!! X”
“Seeing him happy today has been the best tonic ever. The boy is remarkable to bounce back after such hideous awful stuff happening to him. Hard to explain the absolute joy of seeing his happiness again! “
But as we know from the treatment description above, he will not always feel this happy….. but we live in hope.
So here we are on the 8th of March. Fundraising to help Harry fight this cancer.
The funds will go towards any medical expenses not covered by Medicare or insurance; general living expenses like rent, food, travel, and accommodation to the hospital (as Jenny will be struggling to juggle work and caring for Harry and Sam)
We thank you in advance for any support you can give at all. Harry’s family and friends have already rallied around to help in any way they can, delivering meals, sending messages, organising schooling, caring for Sam - the list goes on.
Jenny would be so grateful for your support and would never ever have asked for it herself. So I thank you in advance.
I will be posting regular updates here, so please stay tuned.
Harry is surrounded by love, with a wonderfully caring older brother, a loving Dad, and a strong, devoted single Mum who herself faced a Breast Cancer diagnosis just last year.
For a family fighting against the elements of childhood cancer, the burden is emotional, physical, and financial. While we are lucky enough to live in a country where Medicare will cover much of our medical costs, the time required to support a child through constant hospital visits and treatments leaves many families unable to work. Furthermore, the expenses rise when travelling for hours to reach the nearest children's hospital and accommodation for days on end.
Harry's Helpers are here to support this incredible family, and with the assistance of our local Illawarra community, we hope the ease the financial difficulty they face by fundraising enough money to assist with the years of treatment ahead.
Join us in supporting Harry and his family as they begin a long and exhausting journey battling childhood cancer.
Join Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItsForHarry/
Join Us n Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its.for.harry/
Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Its_For_Harry
The Story So Far...
We will let Leona, one of the wonderful ladies on our Harry's Helpers team explain the story so far:
Harry has Osteosarcoma. He is 8.
Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer that begins in the cells that form bones. Osteosarcoma is most often found in the long bones — more often the legs, but sometimes the arms — but it can start in any bone.
In the first week of February 2021, little Harry was complaining of a sore hip. Next thing he and his family were taking him for tests on a tumor.
There was a ray of hope that it was not cancer but a scan at Westmead Children’s Hospital confirmed the worst. A biopsy on the 11th Feb confirmed it was Osteosarcoma and what the treatment would be.
Before I tell you about how that unfolded, I want to tell you about Harry’s mum, Jenny.
Jenny is a loving and giving soul with an almost unwavering positive and cheery nature. She loves supporting local mums and dads through her business (Parents Guide Illawarra) and also the local businesses she helps with their marketing to them.
Jenny had a particularly tough 2020 (I know we all did but hers really sucked).
In March just before covid took off, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Her treatment included surgery and radiotherapy, along with a life-long hormone treatment regime. It was scary and stressful but she was lucky. She is now cancer-free.
However, needless to say, her year was turned on its end and as a result, her plans to grow and expand her business were put on hold.
Then this happened to Harry!. It’s so much easier for me to explain what happened in her own words….
She messaged me (11/2/2021)
“Mega update time....
- Harry is unbelievable. He is showing such courage and humour already, intermingled with tears and anger. Good to get that out as we know. But it’s been mild so far given how extreme this has been on him
- early results show cancer is likely Osteo (something) sarcoma and NOT Ewing’s
- that’s means it’s chemo and surgery only (as radio won’t work on this cancer)
- both cancers have similar outcomes / and treatments with chemo
- it’s gonna take a year plus to get Harry right. Maybe more. They said he would be a patient for 3 years
- they think 3mths-ish of chemo initially
- then surgery with possible prosthesis for some of the bone
- his mobility may be impacted and certainly no contact sports or anything advanced
- then 6mth more chemo after that to mop up the bad cells as this cancer travels as most bone cancers do
- that it hasn’t likely spread is so amazing. Means it’s treatable with favourable outcomes and a decent 5y survival rate
- chemo likely starts next wed and we will be in hospital for four days maybe more depending on how Harry tolerates it
- we got so much training today on his central line and all the protocols for keeping it clean and safe
- most of the next year will be spent in hospital!! Not just for treatment but as soon as he gets fever even a mild one we go straight to emergency for antibiotics as he will be immune system compromised
- the team of docs and nurses are amazing, I’m already in awe.
- we will get our boy through this. It’s going to be bloody awful. Can’t sugar coat it. With rays of light and absolute appreciation for the opportunity and healthcare to get him back on his feet (literally) and living a decent healthy life
- focusing on the now and the next week only to keep self sane
- drove home from hospital and remembered all I have to be grateful for
- Cath looked after Sam today, cooked me dinner and made me a fat gin and tonic. Can’t tell you how amazing that was to come home to
- massive day and I’ve not really processed it all. Not cried yet but no doubt the torrents will fall soon!
Love to all xxxx”
I can tell you, I cried for her reading this.
NEXT UPDATE (15/2/2021)
“Hi all, just got biopsy results and they were right it’s OsteoSarcoma. Doctor Luce is our head honcho here and he said he fully expects to get Harry well but as they have to say, not every patient they have gets well.
- Treatment is 10 weeks of chemo initially at high doses as they want to kill over 90% of tumour.
- After that chemo it’s surgery and bone / hip replacement
- then a four week recovery from surgery
- If 90% + of tumour they remove from surgery is dead it’s a very good outlook
- Then the next phase of chemo treatment for 20 weeks follows
- If less than 90% of tumour is dead they have to raise levels of chemo and it’s much more dangerous for key organs and hearing. He may also suffer infertility when older. Nothing can really be done about that unfortunately it will be wait and see…
Harry at that point said he didn’t want babies anyway!!
We’ve both cried a lot today. The grim reality is here. But it’s made bearable by amazing staff and Harry’s fortitude and humour. And by the fact that we can get him well, they fully expect to get him well. I’m going to say that again.
We will get him well!!!!!
- chemo likely starts tomorrow (Tuesday)
- first day is flushing kidneys to best protect them then chemo starts day after
- in this first stage it’s causes nausea and vomiting but they give lots of anti-nausea stuff to help but likelihood Harry will be off food and queasy if not very spewy
- cell count drops and hair falls out around 10 days after treatment starts
- then we at risk of infection and fever
So nothing is unexpected from today and hearing the words ‘we fully expect to get Harry well’ has helped a lot xxxxx”
NEXT UPDATE (24/2/2021)
“Had the worst week post chemo with Harry. Bounced in and out of hospital with severe vomiting and dehydration but he's much better today and we came home!!! X”
“Seeing him happy today has been the best tonic ever. The boy is remarkable to bounce back after such hideous awful stuff happening to him. Hard to explain the absolute joy of seeing his happiness again! “
But as we know from the treatment description above, he will not always feel this happy….. but we live in hope.
So here we are on the 8th of March. Fundraising to help Harry fight this cancer.
The funds will go towards any medical expenses not covered by Medicare or insurance; general living expenses like rent, food, travel, and accommodation to the hospital (as Jenny will be struggling to juggle work and caring for Harry and Sam)
We thank you in advance for any support you can give at all. Harry’s family and friends have already rallied around to help in any way they can, delivering meals, sending messages, organising schooling, caring for Sam - the list goes on.
Jenny would be so grateful for your support and would never ever have asked for it herself. So I thank you in advance.
I will be posting regular updates here, so please stay tuned.
Organizer and beneficiary
Harry's Helpers
Organizer
Fernhill NSW
Jenny Henderson
Beneficiary
