Mother Makes a Doll as a Companion After Losing Her Son to Brain Tumour
The owner of the Taiwanese Facebook page “Madam Bento” is a mother to 5 children. Her fourth son Ch'en-Hsiang was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) in January last year. Although he had received continuous treatment, he passed away in August of the same year.
Diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour at the age of 4
Ch'en-Hsiang had just passed his 4-year-old birthday, but one day, he suddenly vomited all the fruits he ate after dinner. The vomiting continued on the next day, and he was diagnosed with stomach flu. Yet, his condition did not improve, and he presented with symptoms such as walking with his head tilted to the right, stomach ache, facial nerve paralysis and neck pain.
Therefore, Madam Bento brought him for examination. His CT scan identified a 6-cm shadow which is suspected as a tumour in his brainstem. After receiving a further MRI scan, he was diagnosed with DIPG.
What is DIPG?
DIPG is a kind of rare brain cancer that mainly occurs in children. There are about 10 new cases in Taiwan every year. This tumour usually develops in the brainstem and cannot be completely removed by surgery. As surgery may cause complete paralysis, the tumour can only be treated with chemotherapy, but the chance of recovery is very low. It may reduce the tumour size, but this can only extend the patient’s life for a few more months.
A paediatric neurosurgeon stated that DIPG was the disease he hated the most to see in patients. It is almost an incurable disease that can cause vomiting and symptoms similar to those of stroke. Over 90% of patients will pass away within 2 years.
Although Ch'en-Hsiang had received different kinds of treatment and even went to America for treatment, his tumour worsened rapidly. At last, he passed away in August. Madam Bento uploaded a photo on the social media platform which shows a doodle of her drawn by Ch'en-Hsiang. She then personally turned the doodle into a doll, which would act as a charm to keep her company.
If you suspect yourself or a child has similar symptoms or signs, it is advisable to seek medical advice from a specialist as soon as possible.
