A young Launceston family is facing 12 months living out of the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne while a new chemotherapy schedule is implemented to try to save seven-month-old Ariel Stevens’ life.
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Ariel’s treatment for her inoperable brain tumour began in May but a fortnight ago the Stevens family were told the efforts were not working and Ariel had two weeks to live. Her parents, school teacher Lani and refrigerator technician Justin, had been expecting Ariel to be in Melbourne for six months for intensive chemotherapy.
“We were told that the treatment had not been successful, so you can imagine how we were feeling about that, we were all devastated and so broken,” said Ariel’s aunt Kylie Pike.
But a different theory from their original oncologist in Melbourne, who had been away at a conference, has now been supported by new test results from Germany.
“It is rare, it is aggressive and it is cancer but it has been treated successfully with babies with a particular type of chemotherapy,” Ms Pike said.
“It hasn’t been successful with adults or children but she is in the perfect age group to have the best chance of success and now there is a 12-month treatment plan.”
Ms Pike, who is Mrs Stevens’ sister, started a gofundme campaign to support the significant financial burden the family are facing by having to stop working. Other family members have also designed wrist bands and stubby holders to raise money.
“Lani and Justin both said that all the caring messages that people have sent them have really helped with morale and they are so grateful for all of the donations on gofundme, the raffle and the auction,” Ms Pike said.
“It's taken so much stress off their shoulders so they don't have to be constantly worrying about where their next meal is coming from.”
The close knit family still deal with the daily struggles involved with Ariel’s battle including blood clots, aneurysms and seizures, but believe there is now hope.
“Our four siblings all had children around the same time … we’d go to Tasmania Zoo, on trips camping and it was the idea that they would all grow together almost like siblings,” Ms Pike said.
“I just couldn't imagine watching all of the other kids growing up (without Ariel).
“It was such a dampening on our lives...but Ariel’s a fighter.”
Holly Monery
Holly Monery is a journalist for The Examiner newspaper, based in Launceston, Tasmania. Her main area of focus is local government.
Holly Monery is a journalist for The Examiner newspaper, based in Launceston, Tasmania. Her main area of focus is local government.
