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Next week will mark two months since Lena Schroeter’s toddler died, a tragedy that struck so suddenly and left her only grief and pain.��

“Everyone carries on with their lives as normal but all I wanted to do was sit and remember her,” said Schroeter.��

“The pain without her is indescribable and I miss her immensely.”��

Her child, Amelia was killed by neuroblastoma - a child cancer branded “the silent tumour” that affected 6 per cent of all child cancer patients between 2000 and 2019.��

Next week will mark two months since Lena Schroeter's baby Amelia passed away.��

It’s the fourth most common childhood cancer, accounting for a quarter of all cancers diagnosed in the first year of life. Yet Schroeter never knew her daughter had it because the symptoms were so concealed.��

Schroeter’s journey as a mother had started well.��

Her daughter was born in August 2021. The birth was described as “textbook”, Schroeter said Amelia’s arrival into the world couldn’t have gone better.��

In November last year, she found Amelia sporting a prominent black eye, which she tied to a small tumble she’d had at the bottom step of the house.��

A quick doctor’s check-up didn’t reveal anything serious, but she was back two weeks later with a swollen eye.��

“We thought she might have an infection,” said Schroeter.��

“They thought it could be conjunctivitis so we were sent home with cream - but the swelling got worse.”��

Over the weeks, Amelia had shown odd changes in behaviour. Her usually energetic nature had turned to fatigue. She’d stopped eating her favourite foods and was struggling to sleep.��

Her abdomen began to swell. Schroeter didn’t think much of it until her doctor referred the case to a paediatrician - they were keen to get Amelia scanned at Nelson Hospital.��

A ten-hour wait in the emergency department led to blood tests and scans, all revealing “something was there”.��

What started with a swollen eye turned into a cancer diagnosis, throwing Amelia into sudden chemotherapy treatment.��

Staying overnight in the paediatric ward, Schroeter was brought into a room and given worrying news - a mass was found behind her daughter’s eye and she would need to be airlifted to Christchurch that day for treatment.��

“That was pretty much how the whirlwind journey began,” she said.��

“It was just full on - from one thing to the next, our lives were turned upside down and you’ve got this massive battle in front of you.”��

Eight days and numerous tests later, Amelia was officially diagnosed with neuroblastoma.��

Schroeter experienced what she described as “information overload” as her daughter began intensive chemotherapy. The treatment as a whole was expected to last a year and a half.��

“You’re just thinking, ‘How am I supposed to go through that?’. You have no idea how to comprehend cancer treatments for your 15-month-old.”��

Oncologists told the Nelson mother her daughter’s cancer was aggressive and at stage 4, her survival odds were 50 per cent over five years.��

Away from home and living in a Christchurch cancer ward, Schroeter watched her toddler endure an eight-hour surgery and numerous injections in an attempt to beat the cancer.��

Amelia's chemotherapy treatment was expected to last a year and a half.��

Moments of hope, when scans showed the chemotherapy wiping away toxic cells, turned into discouragement as Amelia’s body became overloaded with fluid.��

She was flown to Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland with breathing problems and treated in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).��

The rollercoaster continued, with the child “yo-yo’d” between PICU and the cancer ward. Some days a hopeful message suggested she would recover, but other days saw Amelia’s condition rapidly decrease.��

“We got taken into a room and told that she wasn’t doing too well, that they were quite concerned,” said Schroeter.��

“As a parent, you just hope with all your might there’s something you can do and hope for a medical miracle.”��

The miracle never arrived, her condition continued to drop and Amelia passed away on July 28.��

Schroeter was told if she’d brought her daughter into the hospital two months earlier than she had, it was still unlikely the outcome would have been any different.��

“It’s an aggressive cancer but I read that some call it the silent tumour, the symptoms are so subtle,” she said.��

“You don’t tie what she had to the worst thing possible, nobody would. And that’s the horrible thing - you don’t expect a fresh, new child to get cancer.”��

The Nelson resident returned from her daughter’s funeral carrying the weight of what she’d journeyed for nine months, reflecting on the “biggest blessing of my life” to be Amelia’s mum.��

“I would give anything to cuddle her and see her beautiful smile again,” she said.��

“It’s an immense sadness, a huge hole that cannot be filled. But I am also finding great comfort and smiles in all the memories I made with her in her short time with us.”��

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Schroeter paid tribute to the families in Christchurch who were also journeying neuroblastoma treatments, they helped her along the process.��

She was thankful to have organisations like the Child Cancer Foundation - which provided practical help, from free groceries and counselling to heavy contributions towards funeral costs.��

Even her workplace stepped up to help when times got particularly difficult, a comprehensive community that Schroeter said was critical for walking through such tragedy.��

“You’re thrown into this world outside of normal life, I’m blown away by those there to support you,” said Schroeter.��

“Without them you’d be so lost, the generosity to listen and to be a shoulder to cry on. Having support and not being afraid to ask for help is a big thing for something like that.”��