A Hampshire mother has spoken of the subtle tell-tale sign that her son’s “Christmas bug” was different from a normal cold and, in fact, something much more sinister.
Doctors repeatedly told the family of six-year-old Jimmy Cragg that his sore throat and cough were either “a swollen gland,” “tonsillitis” or “the usual Christmas bug that goes around schools.”
But subsequent blood tests last month revealed it was actually leukemia, a type of blood cancer.
His mother, Wendy Cragg, 43, who works at a medical concierge clinic, said it would have been easy not to question the doctor’s diagnosis if it hadn’t been for a lump in his neck.
He warned other parents to be careful about swelling in their children’s bodies, as it can distinguish common bugs from cancer.
She said: ‘You should look for glands in the groin (and neck) area.
“We’re lucky we caught it in time, but that’s because we took it to A&E even though they told us not to.
‘Who knows what would have happened if we hadn’t? I would tell parents that they have to trust their guts.”
Jimmy Cragg (pictured centre), from Yateley in Hampshire, first started feeling unwell in November when he developed a cough, sore throat and a small lump in his neck. His parents Wendy, 43 (right) and Will, 46 (left), took him to the GP several times and made several calls to 111.
Doctors thought Jimmy had “a swollen gland,” “tonsillitis,” or “the usual Christmas bug that runs through schools.” Jimmy began vomiting and his parents rushed him to the ER, even though doctors told them to keep him home. That’s when they were told he had leukemia.
Cragg added that another sign that Jimmy’s condition was more serious was the bruising that appeared on his back.
“But that’s difficult, because six-year-olds run into everything,” he said.
Recalling the onset of the illness in November last year, he described “the usual flu-like symptoms.”
I had a cold, cough, dry mouth and sore throat.
“However, when we noticed the small lump on his neck, we took him to the doctor. But they told me “don’t worry, it’s just a swollen gland.”
“It didn’t get better over the next few weeks and we made a couple of calls to 111.
“But they just told us, ‘All the kids at school have it.’ “It’s one of the usual Christmas bugs.”
Cragg recalled that her husband Will, 46, a surveying engineer, became even more worried when Jimmy “started talking funny” before his school’s Nativity.
“We took him back to the GP and they told us it was probably tonsillitis.
“Then we had to work really hard to get him antibiotics, and they weren’t very forthcoming, but they finally prescribed some.”
“But after five days there was still no improvement and we called 111 again on December 15. They told us to finish the course.”
Jimmy spends so much time at Southampton General Hospital (pictured) that he decided to set up a GoFundMe to raise some money to improve the facility, including buying new games.
However, that night Jimmy began vomiting, prompting his parents to call 111 again.
“A doctor told us it was just tonsillitis and we had to wait,” Mrs Cragg said.
‘I asked if we should take him to A&E and they told me he needed to finish his antibiotic treatment.
But by then we were done. We got in the car and took him to the hospital.
The family spent hours waiting at Southampton General Hospital and when they were seen, they were told Jimmy probably had glandular fever rather than tonsillitis.
But the family pushed for more blood tests and asked to be seen by a specialist, raising the alarm about the bruising. on his back.
That’s when the family received the news that Jimmy had leukemia.
Jimmy’s parents warn that the symptoms can easily go unnoticed and be confused with a cold or cough.
‘It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. It was just the worst thing you could hear. We were enormously shocked. We still are,” said Mrs Cragg.
There are more than 9,900 new cases of leukemia each year in the United Kingdom and more than 62,700 in the United States.
It occurs when blood cells begin to grow and divide abnormally, making it difficult for healthy cells to do their job.
Swollen lymph nodes in the groin, armpits and neck, feeling tired, bruising easily and not being able to get rid of infections easily are warning signs of the disease, according to Cancer Research UK.
Currently, Jimmy receives chemotherapy once a week and undergoes spinal taps.
Because Jimmy spends so much time at Southampton General Hospital, the family created a GoFundMe to raise some money to improve the facilities.
Jimmy aims to walk 1,000 steps every day with his new companion, an IV pole nicknamed ROBO, and hopes to raise £25,000.
Cragg said: ‘The staff on our ward who look after the children and their families are amazing. But there are parts of the pavilion that are deteriorated.
‘For example, there is a microwave, but when you try to quickly prepare the evening meal, it takes ten minutes instead of three. That kind of thing.
Jimmy aims to walk 1,000 steps every day with his new companion, an IV pole nicknamed ROBO, and hopes to raise £25,000.
Jimmy spent Christmas Day in hospital and the staff made sure the day was as fun as possible.
“There’s a little family room with some games, but one day Jimmy said, ‘Maybe we could help get more games.’ I’ve already played them all.”
‘Its treatment also makes it sensitive to light and blinds that cannot be easily lowered. You have to hold them to something heavy.
‘He said, “Maybe we could get some new blinds.” From there, everything was like a snowball.”
Jimmy’s parents hope to put a ping pong table in the family room, as well as some other social games.
They would also like to update the microwave, washing machine, and living room furniture.
Cragg said: ‘The days can be extremely long. Every minute seems like an hour. So anything to make people smile.
She added: ‘I must admit I was very depressed on Christmas Day.
‘It’s just sad. It’s not the same as spending Christmas in the hospital.
‘We tried to make it fun for Jimmy, and the staff were really friendly too, but as a family we had plans to be in South Africa with my family.
‘It would have been the first time in 12 years.
“I think it’s just traumatizing every day. You have that wonderful moment when you first wake up and don’t remember it, and then it hits you.
“But we will stay strong. We’re just trying to make Jimmy as happy as possible.
‘And we’re in a position where we’ve caught it so early. “So we’re grateful for that and grateful that we trusted our instincts.”
So far Jimmy has raised £14,000 of his £25,000 target.