A sports-loving boy developed a devastating and fast-growing cancer after suffering with a common cold.
The parents of Logan Nicholls took him to see a doctor after he struggled to recover from an illness that swept through his family. While his parents and young brother got better, 11-year-old Logan's symptoms got worse. Mum, Courtney Marshall, rushed him to the GP when he woke up with a swollen stomach.
Initially it was thought he may have an appendicitis. But Courtney and Logan's dad, Kev Nicholls, were given the devastating news that their son had non-Hodgkin's Burkitt lymphoma. The cancer had grown in a matter of a week and turned Logan from an energetic and sports-mad little boy into a very sick child. Heartbreakingly, he asked his mum if he was going to die when she told him the news of his diagnosis. "When he first found out he had cancer, he was petrified," Courtney told BlackCountryLive.
Logan Nicholls was diagnosed with a fast-growing cancer (birminghammai)"Because he's older he understands more and the first thing he said to me was 'am I going to die?' As a parent to hear that was awful and we just broke down." Speaking about his diagnosis, 30-year-old Courtney said: "Logan has non-Hodgkin's Burkitt lymphoma which is a high-grade cancer and it's very fast growing. It can be a matter of days or weeks that it grows.
"The week leading up to Halloween we'd all been poorly with coughs and colds and Logan had the same. We noticed that his wasn't going and his symptoms started to get worse. He was out of breath and wasn't eating. He was tired and initially I thought he might need some antibiotics. I called the doctors but before we could make the appointment he'd woken up with a swollen stomach and we got an emergency appointment."
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Logan Nicholls before he was taken ill with fast-growing cancer (birminghammai)Logan, who lives near Cannock, was sent to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton by his GP who thought he had an appendicitis. "A soon as we got there I think they knew it was something more," Courtney said. "Because the type of cancer grows so fast, he started to go downhill really quickly.
"A doctor said to me 'just to warn you, I'm pretty sure this is Burkitt lymphoma which is a very fast growing aggressive cancer that's probably grown in Logan's body in the matter of a week'. That is why he was completely healthy and playing football and rugby and then within a week, he was just a completely different child."
Initially it was thought he may have an appendicitis (birminghammai)Logan was transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital and began a treatment of steroids before undergoing chemotherapy. But the youngster developed a life-threatening condition and his mum was told to urgently return to the hospital to be by his side. She explained: "Sometimes when the cancer cells breakdown too quickly, they can get a life-threatening condition called tumour lysis syndrome which happened to Logan. Within two days of the steroids, his body couldn't flush out the toxins and his kidneys started to fail.
"I'd been at the hospital with him all week and then had a call as soon as I got home to say that I needed to come back because the next two days were critical." Luckily, Logan pulled through at has now finished his treatment. He will receive regular monitoring over the next few months and years to ensure the cancer does not return. His mum added: "We've tried to stay as positive as we can for Logan. The outcome of this type of cancer is usually successful and he's finished treatment now and he's all clear.
Logan pictured after ringing the bell signalling the end of his treatment with his mum Courtney, dad Kev, and little brother Braidy (birminghammai)"They still don't know what causes the type of cancer but it is to do with white blood cells. So when they overwork if someone has been ill which in Logan's case is correct as he was poorly beforehand. The white blood cells work too much and they start to mutate and it spreads cancer. It can happen to anybody which is really scary."
The family are now hoping to make new memories together as they reunite after Logan's long stay in hospital. His little brother Braidy, seven, has especially missed being together as a family. Friends have set-up a GoFundMe page for Logan which has since raised almost £3,500.
Courtney said: "I'm so grateful that they did it just for the support of everybody. Just to know that you have so many people behind you at a time like that makes the darkest of times a little bit easier. Me and Kev just cried because we were so overwhelmed by all of the support. You can click here to view the GoFundMe page.
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