A mother’s journey of hope after 4-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer

What began with weight loss, a poor appetite and a swollen tummy quickly turned into a journey Diana Maradi never imagined she would have to take.

Within days, her four-year-old son Trevor was undergoing a series of tests before doctors confirmed he had Stage Two Wilms' tumour, a type of kidney cancer that primarily affects children. For the mother of three, the diagnosis brought fear and a flood of unanswered questions.

"I saw death. In my head, I just thought, 'I'm going to lose my baby. What is it that I did wrong? Why didn't I know earlier?" Maradi recalled.

Before the diagnosis, Trevor had been losing weight and struggling to eat. His family had also noticed that his stomach was swollen but did not immediately suspect anything serious. Trevor developed a high fever in the middle of the night and later experienced constipation and severe discomfort. When medication failed to help, doctors ordered an X-ray and later a CT scan after the initial tests did not explain his condition.

Doctors later diagnosed him with Wilms' tumour. For Maradi and her family, those first hours were overwhelming.

"This child is just four years old. Is he even going to make it?" she remembers thinking.

Since then, Trevor's treatment journey has included hospital admissions, surgery, chemotherapy and blood transfusions. For the family, the uncertainty has often been as difficult as the treatment itself.

"There are times you come to hospital and you don't even know whether you're going to be admitted or not," she said.

"Cancer treatment is really expensive, and emotionally, you're also thinking about your child and whether they are going to be okay," Maradi said.

Amid the hospital visits and treatment, Maradi says one of her biggest priorities has been ensuring Trevor does not lose his childhood.

Initially, she became extremely protective of him and stopped working for three months to focus entirely on his care.

But after surgery and several weeks of chemotherapy, she realised that beyond being a patient, Trevor was still a four-year-old who wanted to play.

"He's still a baby, when he has no fever and no pain he plays. He's a very good little footballer so we let him play,” she said.

The family bought balls for him to play with indoors and has worked to help his siblings understand his condition and the changes brought about by treatment. Trevor has had to adjust to wearing a mask and losing his hair, things his mother says the family explains to him in simple ways.

"We tell him, 'You're not different. You're just sick for a short period of time and you'll get over it,'" she said.

The family has also used books, videos and conversations with medical professionals to help Trevor and his siblings understand what is happening. For Maradi, greater awareness is also needed in schools and communities to ensure children undergoing cancer treatment do not feel isolated.

"This is a child. You can't lock him inside the house," she said.

Through the difficult days, Maradi says the support of her husband, family, friends and other parents who have walked a similar journey has helped her find strength.

But Trevor himself changed her outlook during one particularly difficult moment.

As he battled a high fever and prepared for a blood transfusion, Maradi says her young son looked at her and said, "Mommy usijali, I'll be okay,"

From that moment, Maradi says she made a decision to focus on hope.

"I said I'll never look like my problems. I'll always speak up and I will always make Trevor feel better," she said.

Now, she is urging other parents to pay attention to changes in their children's health and trust their instincts.

"Kids also can have cancer. I also didn't know, know your child's normal. If you feel something is off, just take your child to hospital. You're better off going and being told the baby is okay than not going and something is growing inside,” she advised.

For parents walking a similar journey, Maradi has another message.

"Cancer does not choose. It is not your fault, follow the regimen, be prayerful and seek support," she said.