Jude was 12 years old when in December 2019 he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). His mum Boo shares his story…
Jude has always been very bright academically, and sociable, sporty and into performing arts. Before his diagnosis, he was top set in all subjects at school and had been cast in a lead role in his school musical, and also a minor role in the local high school musical. He was also part of the Team GB Tap Dancing team and, in November 2019, competed at the World Championships in Germany, winning bronze and gold medals.
One week after returning from Germany, Jude became unwell. At first, we thought it was just exhaustion after the World Championships, but then he collapsed when we went to buy our Christmas tree. He just couldn’t hold his own weight, and was so exhausted he couldn’t move and could only lay on the floor. The next day, his dad, Tony, took him to the doctor, who told us it was flu, and to take ibuprofen and rest for a week.
After a week, he went back to school for one day, before crashing again. The next morning, he had a rash/bruise on his ankle. This ankle had been injured in the run up to the World Championships, so we thought it was related to that – but combined with being so poorly, we decided to get him checked out again.
This time, we chose to go to A&E at Poole Hospital, where they took Jude’s bloods. They then admitted him, and sent his blood tests for further analysis. They also wanted to do an MRI on his ankle, saying it would be quicker to get that done if he was admitted rather than if he was an outpatient. I think they already knew that the bloods were showing leukaemia, and were waiting for a specific diagnosis.
That diagnosis came the next morning - a week before Christmas - on 18 December 2019. When the consultant confirmed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), Jude being Jude, his first question to the consultant was “Will I dance again?”. We were told that a bed was available for him at Piam Brown ward in Southampton, where he was initially to be treated, and we were taken by ambulance that evening.
To begin with, his treatment was awful. The steroids caused him to become completely immobile, and so bloated he didn’t look like himself. He was in a wheelchair for a couple of months, then crutches for a month or so, which of course kept him from dancing. But, as soon as he was out of the wheelchair, it wasn’t long before the tap shoes were back on. By August 2020 - just eight months after his diagnosis – Jude had auditioned and got back into the Team GB dance squad. Since his diagnosis, he’s also achieved his Grade 5 tap and his Grade 3 ballet, and won a number of other dance competitions, including international ones.
These achievements are just incredible given all he’s had to face. He’s even overcome two fractures in his back, caused by the leukaemia and steroid use. Jude’s perseverance and resilience has been amazing to see. His determination to get back to doing what he loves has been inspiring, and we’re just so proud of him.
Since the initial six months of intense treatment finished, he’s been really well. He’s rarely ill, and has only been admitted a couple of times – once due to COVID, but he was fine. His treatment is due to finish on 9 March 2023, after more than three years. Generally, since July 2020 when he finished the initial chemotherapy, he’s been fine, unless it’s a steroid week (one in 4), when he’s like a different person and usually ends up missing a day or two of school.
Jude is very sociable and has a brilliant group of friends who treat him completely normally. In fact, I think they forget his diagnosis most of the time! He can be boisterous, and quite loud, and is generally the cause of most of the noise in our house. He’s a very funny lad who loves to banter with us and his brother, Gabriel, and sister, Nell. Along with their older half-siblings Conor and Becca, they’ve been a great support to Jude throughout his treatment.
Jude also enjoys singing and is the drummer in a band called The Current Flavour in which his brother Gabriel is also a member. He loves sport, but his back fractures and weakened bones, due to the steroids, mean he can’t play the contact sports that he used to prior to diagnosis. However, he still plays some sport in PE and enjoys going for bike rides with friends. He even got in trouble from his consultant for cycling 18 miles one day in summer 2020 to go to McDonald’s and back with his mates!
Since Jude’s diagnosis, we’ve read a lot of books and articles about leukaemia treatment, and how it has improved over the last 50 years. However, there’s still so much unknown about what causes it. We’d love to raise more money to help improve the treatment given to other children and also to learn more about the disease to understand it better. Our first event is a skydive, so Jude himself is too young to take part – but I’m sure once he’s old enough, he will be more than willing! However, we’ll do other fundraising along the way, and Jude will definitely want to take part and help us organise and promote them.
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