Lockdown poses extra challenges for family of Melton teenager with cancer

Melton teenager Charlie Hull, who is being treated for a rare form of bone cancer, pictured with mum, Sam, in hospital before lockdown tightened restrictions for patients and staff EMN-200527-093354001

Charlie Hull (15) travelled to a Manchester hospital this week with mum, Sam, to begin up to three weeks of radiotherapy followed by a month of revolutionary proton beam therapy.

They won’t see the rest of the family - Charlie’s dad, Ben, and siblings Bailey (13) Ruby (11) and two-year-old Chester - for eight weeks because of coronavirus restrictions.

Charlie, who was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in October, has recently finished 11 gruelling cycles of chemotherapy at Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC), in Nottingham, and was denied visits from family members and friends because only one parent was allowed in.

Charlie Hull, pictured in hospital where he has been having treatment for a rare form of cancer EMN-200527-094027001

He has spent several weeks at home because he is considered highly vulnerable to contracting Covid-19 which also meant none of his family could leave the house and have had to rely on relatives and friends leaving food parcels and medicines on their doorstep.

Sam told the Melton Times: “It’s been a struggle, having four children to keep entertained when one of them needs a lot of extra care and not being able to go out and grab bits when you need them.

“There’s never a good time to have cancer but in the middle of a pandemic has to be the worst.

“You spend so much time isolated anyway and then suddenly you can’t go anywhere at all.

Charlie Hull, who has a rare form of cancer, with his mum Sam Smith EMN-200527-094207001

“When Charlie has had chemo we have had to be so careful, wearing masks and ensuring hands are washed every 30 minutes.

“We had planned a little holiday for him when he finishes treatment but that’s cancelled now due to the virus.

“He can’t see any of his friends, or family.

“It’s just like living in limbo.”

Charlie’s diagnosis came after he had initially complained about a stitch and then discovered a lump the size of a tennis ball near his ribs.

On April 16, he had a seven-hour operation to remove his 10th rib - his main tumour site - along with any diseased tissue, and the rib was replaced with a plastic mesh.

He has had a tough time with chemotherapy over recent weeks and has slept through a lot of his treatments as a result of being tired from taking anti-sickness pills to keep the nausea at bay.

Charlie, a student at Melton’s Long Field Academy, has had to use a wheelchair for most of the time because his legs are so weak.

“Since lockdown, strict rules have been put in place in the hospitals and they try to keep patients to a minimum, so we have had to wear face masks all the time and you no longer have that little bit of support from other parents on the ward as you can’t talk to one another,” said Sam.

“It’s been hard. An already lonely situation is even lonelier.”

The family has been told that Charlie is the first QMC patient to be referred to Manchester hospital, The Christie, where he will have the proton beam therapy, which accurately focuses on treating diseased areas without damaging surrounding tissue.

Sam added: “Originally we were told that we were going abroad for treatment but due to the lockdown everything was in limbo and from February to the end of April we didn’t actually have a plan in place because we were waiting to be told what was going to be happening and they were waiting to see if restrictions were going to be lifted.

“But as Ewing’s Sarcoma is so rare - only 30 people are diagnosed a year - it was too risky to wait and we couldn’t delay any further so they managed to get us a place at Manchester.”

An online fundraising page to support Charlie and his family has already raised over £5,000 - go to www.gofundme.com/f/charlie-hull to pledge money.