Feilding family's struggle to get their toddler to hospital for cancer check-ups

The Lee family of Feilding - Jason, Keri and 2-year-old Jaxon. Jaxon was diagnosed with eye cancer when he was born. Photo / Adrian Malloch

Even though Auckland's lockdown is hundreds of kilometres away it has a huge impact on Feilding's Keri and Jason Lee. The couple's 2-year-old son Jaxon was diagnosed with eye cancer when he was born.

There is only one specialist treatment centre for childhood cancer in the North Island - Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland. This means families like the Lees have to travel to Auckland so their children can receive life-saving treatment.

This can be hugely challenging for many families – emotionally, financially and socially. They have to live through the trauma of watching their child undergo treatment, often for weeks or months at a time, while being miles away from their support network.

For the first two years of Jaxon's life, Keri and Jason had to travel with him to Auckland every month for laser therapy to freeze the tumours in his eyes and frequent MRI check-ups to ensure no tumours had spread to his brain.

He has recently moved to three-monthly trips to Auckland for check-ups and possibly more treatment, which will continue until he is about 6.

Regional border restrictions have made getting in and out of Auckland incredibly stressful for the Lee family.

"We have had to miss a couple of Jaxon's appointments and have no idea when we'll be able to get back to his regular check-ups," Keri says. "It's made an already difficult situation even harder."

Child Cancer Foundation chief executive Monica Briggs says the foundation has noticed an increased level of support needed for families like Jaxon's since the latest lockdown began.

"Not only is it harder than ever for families from outside of Auckland to get their child to treatment, the risk of developing Covid-19 is extremely dangerous for children who are immunocompromised while they go through chemotherapy," she says.

"Our family support co-ordinators are helping whānau obtain border exemptions so they can get their child into Auckland, while continuing to provide them with one-to-one support over the phone – both while they are in hospital and when they return home."

Briggs says the foundation depends on the generosity of Kiwis to ensure it can keep providing this support.

You can donate at childcancer.org.nz/jaxon.