A BRAVE Greenock youngster marked International Childhood Cancer Day by ringing the bell to signal he is all clear of the disease.
Jonjai Stanton (12) was diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes, in summer 2024. Last week he was joined by family and his team of clinicians as he proudly chimed the ward bell and marked the end of his treatment.
His mother Angela said: “In July 2024, Jonjai took what we thought was a normal viral bug, which was causing sickness and diarrhoea. He recovered and we went to Lanzarote for a week when the schools broke up. He then started to mention pain under his arm, but nothing of concern. I just assumed it was a sore arm.
“A week later Jonjai came to me saying he had found a pea-sized lump under his arm, which prompted a visit to A&E. He was given an antibiotic thinking it was an infected lymph node due to the norovirus he had just recovered from.
“He had antibiotics for a few weeks but then he started to lose weight, and we could tell more lymph nodes were becoming swollen. His appetite dramatically changed, and a red circle appeared on his chest just under his arm,” she said.
Angela had concern and took Jonjai back to hospital. She said: “We spent the next three weeks in hospital while Jonjai underwent different tests including a biopsy and lumber puncture. His consultant told us that the tests had come back positive for lymphoma and that he needed to start chemotherapy treatment. The cancer had also started to spread into his lungs meaning he needed a lot of oxygen,” she said.
Jonjai’s first round of chemotherapy started in August 2024, and he stayed on the Royal Hospital for Children Schiehallion Ward for five weeks. He was then discharged for around two or three weeks before going back for another seven-day round. The family did this six times before Jonjai’s last round of chemotherapy in January.
Angela said: “Jonjai dealt with it very well. He took it all on board and was so resilient.
“Looking back, he missed the high school transition which has had a bit of an effect on him. Understandably, he has also developed a bit of health anxiety, and social anxiety too given everything he has been through. At times, he feels like he is known as the ‘sick person’ and because he doesn’t have any hair, he stands out a little,” she said.
Finding out that Jonjai was cancer-free came as a bit of a surprise to the family. Angela said: “At the start of everything, Jonjai had an MRI which showed where the cancer was. Then he received one halfway through his treatment to show how the treatment was working and if his lymph nodes had been reduced. What we found in that MRI scan was that there were no signs of cancer in any of his lymph nodes. We were overwhelmed.
“When we got told the diagnosis, our world felt like it was falling apart. We felt lost and lonely. It was difficult because we have other children as well. We have a six-year-old and twins who have just turned two, so we had to try and juggle family life along with Jonjai being in hospital. It was an emotional and horrible time. Seeing how resilient Jonjai was, really got us through.
“The staff really helped me massively throughout the time in the hospital. Their calmness during really high-pressure situations and the time they invested in us kept us calm and reassured. It was also the small things that mattered. For example, the staff always made sure to kneel to Jonjai’s level when they were speaking to him. I felt that was so important as they made sure he was fully involved with any of the discussions that took place in his room. We couldn’t have gotten through this difficult time without their input and support. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in Jonjai’s journey,” she said.
International Childhood Cancer Day takes place every year on the 15 February to raise awareness about childhood cancer and to express support for children and adolescents with cancer, the survivors and their families.
Sarah Clarke, consultant on the Schiehallion Ward said: “We’re like a big family on the Schiehallion Ward and grow close to the children and families in our care. We’re delighted to see Jonjai ring the bell and we’re glad that we could give him and his family the support that they needed throughout his treatment. Here’s to celebrating what’s next for Jonjai!”
