A heartbroken mum has spoken of the 'extended family' at a Scots charity who helped care for her young son as he battled an inoperable brain tumour.
Aaron Ross was born in 2010 first showed 'concerning symptoms ' when he was three and a half months old, as he started losing weight and wasn't eating regularly.
Resultant tests confirmed he had a brain tumour and it was inoperable, reports Edinburgh Live. His parents Rachel and Michael explained that he didn't respond well to treatment initially and started visiting Rachel House - which is run by children's charity CHAS - at just seven months old.
Rachel said: “We really didn’t want to go to a hospice. We just immediately thought of death and we couldn’t fathom that our beloved Aaron was at the end of his short life but we quickly realised that this was the best place for us to be.
“We spent the summer at Rachel House. A summer I’ll always remember. We were able to spend quality time with our new baby and enjoy some home comforts. Much to our surprise, Aaron started to get more responsive and improve. He’d smile and make noises when he found something funny. He was the happiest boy.”
The next round of tests showed his tumour had stabilised and his condition improved. The youngster was only admitted to hospital on a few occasions in 2012
But sadly, only months after the birth of their second baby in 2013, Aaron's parents learned that the tumour had grown. He was given another round of chemotherapy but it was unsuccessful, leading surgeons to fit him with an external ventricular drain in an attempt to relieve some pressure on his brain.
In 2018 Aaron's health began to decline. Despite the best efforts of medical staff he passed away at Rachel House in 2020, with his parents and family by his side.
Rachel added: “During Christmas 2018, we knew Aaron wasn’t right. He was experiencing a lot of bowel problems and he was very temperamental, which wasn’t like him, and even more sensitive to noise. He said another scan and the tumour had increased in size again. There weren’t many options due to chemotherapy not working in the past and the position and size of the tumour.
“Throughout 2019, we stayed in Rachel House often. Aaron had multiple infections and experienced his first seizure. But despite a tough year, we were able to spend Christmas 2019 at home. We were so optimistic about the year ahead. We thought 2020 will be our year. We didn’t know it then but that would be Aaron’s last Christmas, and 2020 would turn out to be the most heart-breaking year of our lives.
“Aaron was rushed into hospital mid-January with another infection; fluid was unable to drain and he was non-responsive. He continued to have seizures and he was going downhill very quickly.
“Aaron spent his last hours with his whole family around him. His grandparents were able to stay at Rachel House and nieces and nephews came in to say their goodbyes. His very last words were ‘do you want to play I Spy?’ which sums him up. He was a little character; playful and fun and just loved everyone around him."
Rachel was full of praise for CHAS, who helped the family immensely both during her son's battle and after he passed away.
She added: “Being able to be where Aaron was, was everything and more. We could say our last goodbyes and know that he wasn’t alone. He was tucked in with his dinosaur duvet and hearing the nurses talk to him and play his favourite music, gave us comfort.
“CHAS is like an extended family; everyone from the housekeepers to the kitchen staff. The nurses we had in our home looking after Aaron were once stranger but they became Aaron’s best friends. We made some incredible memories with CHAS which will last a lifetime."
Dad Michael said: “When your child dies, it feels like the world should stop. And the world did stop. It gave us that time we needed as a family and meant we didn’t have to put on a brave face.”
This launch of Children’s Hospices Across Scotland’s 2022 festive fundraising appeal took place this week and they are urging fellow Scots to 'support dying children and their families this Christmas' during the cost of living crisis.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
