14-year-old boy diagnosed with lymphoma after his mother believed he had a 100-day cough
This 14-year-old boy from Liverpool had a dry cough for weeks before his mother took him to the hospital, believing he had the 100-day bug. It turned out to be something much worse.
Sometimes, we have a tendency to ignore our symptoms in the hope that they will go away on their own. However, it is necessary to see a doctor if they persist. This mother from Liverpool believed her son's cough meant he suffered from the 100-day bug, and waited a few weeks before taking him to the hospital. It turned out to be a much more serious issue.
Liam was diagnosed with cancer
Caroline Chung's 14-year-old son, Liam, began experiencing fatigue, and a dry cough, which are symptoms often associated with a whooping cough. However, she had a feeling something worse was happening, and after discovering a lump on his collarbone, she took him to the hospital. Doctors ran some tests, and eventually diagnosed Liam with stage-two Hodgkin's lymphoma, thanks to a biopsy, which is the only way to diagnose the disease. The single mother-of-two spoke to the Mirror, saying:
It was stage two so it's treatable and that was kind of a relief. To hear those words that it was curable and that it wasn't terminal was just music to my ears. I knew it would be a journey and that it wouldn't be nice, but I knew he was going to survive. That was the best thing I could have heard.
Caroline Chung is now urging other parents to always check their children's symptoms with a health professional.
What is Hodgkin's lymphoma?
According to the National Health Service, Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of rare cancer, which mostly affects people aged between 20 and 40, or patients over 75.
Hodgkin lymphoma is an uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, which is a network of vessels and glands spread throughout your body.
The most common symptom of this type of cancer is a painless swelling in a lymph node, usually located in the neck, armpit or groin. More than 2,000 people are diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma every year in the UK.
If someone in your family has had the illness, or if you are taking immunosuppressant medication, you can be at risk, so do not hesitate to talk to your doctor about it. Hodgkin's lymphoma is an aggressive type of cancer, but it is also one of the most treatable.
Caroline's son, Liam, is currently undergoing chemotherapy, and he is expected to make a full recovery.
Read more:
Baby diagnosed with life-threatening tumour after he stopped laughing
Do your fingers suddenly turn blue? Here's what your body is trying to tell you
Sources used:
Mirror: 'I thought son's cough was just '100 day bug' before he was diagnosed with cancer'
NHS: Hodgkin lymphoma