Alex and April Marsh's toddler Connor is fighting metastatic brain cancer. He is pictured right after he had surgery to remove themain mass o his brain.
UPDATE: Two-year-old Connor Marsh is in a critical battle against metastatic brain cancer, and his family is urgently calling for access to proton radiation therapy in Australia. The devastating news of his diagnosis comes just weeks after doctors discovered a large, aggressive tumor known as medulloblastoma in early November 2023. Tragically, multiple spots have already spread through his spine.
Connor’s parents, Alex and April Marsh, were shattered to learn that the gold standard treatment for his condition, proton therapy, is not available in their home country. Within just a week of the shocking diagnosis, Connor underwent a grueling 10-hour surgery to remove the primary tumor. He is now receiving care as an inpatient at the Perth Children’s Hospital, where he is expected to spend both Christmas and his third birthday undergoing intensive chemotherapy.
The family faces an uphill battle as Connor’s cancer has rapidly progressed, now affecting over 80 percent of his spine, leading to pressure on his spinal cord and paralysis in the lower half of his 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, expressing the emotional toll of the situation.
Living in the hospital 24/7, Alex faces the stress of balancing Connor’s needs while April manages their one-year-old son, Lachlan, at home. “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,” Alex added.
What complicates their plight is the likelihood that Connor will need to travel to Florida for proton radiation treatment. This advanced therapy precisely targets tumors while minimizing damage to healthy tissue, unlike traditional radiation, which can significantly impact a child’s development and lead to long-term health issues.
Although Australia’s Medical Treatment Overseas Program will facilitate Connor and one parent’s travel to the US for treatment, it does not extend support to the rest of the family. In response, the Marsh family has launched a GoFundMe page to raise funds to keep their family together during this harrowing time.
Alex emphasized the need for proton therapy to be made available in Australia, stating, “It’s a pretty traumatic experience. You have to separate your family and take an immuno-compromised child on a plane for 30-plus hours. A lot of families are tossing up whether to get the gold standard for their child or to keep the family together during this time.”
The Marsh family’s struggle highlights a critical gap in Australia’s medical system. “We’ve got an amazing medical system here in Australia, but this is an area that we’re falling behind in. Children need their families together for this, and the parents need to be together as well,” Alex concluded.
As developments unfold, the call for proton therapy access in Australia is gaining momentum, with many rallying behind the Marsh family. The urgency of this situation resonates deeply, as families across the nation advocate for better treatment options for children facing life-threatening illnesses. The community’s response could potentially change the landscape of pediatric cancer treatment in Australia, allowing families like the Marshs to stay together in their most challenging times.
