BREAKING: Two-year-old Connor Marsh is facing a life-threatening battle against metastatic brain cancer, but his parents are fighting for access to crucial treatment that isn’t available in Australia. Just weeks after being diagnosed with a large, aggressive tumor known as medulloblastoma, Connor’s family is urgently calling for proton radiation therapy to be made accessible in Australia.
On November 10, 2023, Connor’s parents, Alex and April Marsh, received devastating news: their son had a substantial tumor in his brain, with multiple spots spreading through his spine. Following a grueling 10-hour surgery to remove the main mass, Connor is currently receiving treatment at Perth Children’s Hospital, where he is expected to remain throughout the holiday season, battling intense chemotherapy.
The prognosis is serious; cancer has rapidly spread, affecting over 80% of his spine and causing paralysis in his lower body. “We’re still holding on hope that the paralysis passes and he gets some function back, but every day that passes it’s pretty tough,” said Alex Marsh. “With all these complications, it’s more than likely we’ll be in here for at least a few months before we can even look at going home.”
As the family confronts this unimaginable ordeal, they face another hurdle: Connor may need to travel to Florida for proton therapy, a treatment that precisely targets tumors while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. In contrast, traditional radiation involves a high exit dose, posing long-term risks, including brain damage.
Australia’s Medical Treatment Overseas Program will cover Connor and one parent’s travel, but the financial burden of keeping their family together during this critical time is immense. The Marsh family has launched a GoFundMe campaign, seeking support to enable them to stay united while Connor undergoes essential treatment.
“This is a traumatic experience; you have to separate your family and take an immuno-compromised child on a plane for 30-plus hours,” remarked Alex. “A lot of families are torn between getting the gold standard treatment for their child or keeping the family together during this time. We’ve got an amazing medical system here in Australia, but this is one area where we are falling behind. Children need their families together for this, and parents need to be together as well.”
The urgency for proton therapy to be available in Australia has never been more pressing. The Marsh family hopes their appeal will resonate with officials and lead to immediate changes, ensuring that families can remain together during the most challenging times of their children’s lives.
As the fight against childhood cancer continues, Connor’s story highlights a critical gap in treatment accessibility, urging immediate action from health authorities. The community is rallying support, and the need for awareness around this issue is growing.
Stay tuned as we follow the Marsh family’s journey and advocate for the necessary changes in pediatric cancer treatment in Australia.
