Sometimes the smallest details can have the greatest impact on our lives, and this turned out to be the case for seven-year-old English boy Robert Haswell last year.
The little boy’s story has made headlines this week, after it was revealed that his cancer was only detected when his mother handed him the wrong football boots ahead of a game.
Mum Hayley told local media that she accidentally handed Robert his Astroturf boots instead of his boots for playing on grass, causing him to slip during the game. After falling to the ground, Robert was struck down with a searing pain in his side and was rushed to hospital for tests.
It was there that doctors discovered a lump in Robert’s kidney, and he was diagnosed with an early-stage cancerous Wilms’ tumour, also known as nephroblastoma – a rare form of kidney cancer which affects children.
Thankfully, the accident on the pitch allowed doctors to catch and treat the cancer early, and Robert has now made a full recovery. It has, however, been a tough journey to get to this point: Robert underwent chemotherapy, had his right kidney removed, and endured three operations.
The football fanatic was also unable to play his favourite sport due to leg muscle damage, but he recently took to the pitch for his first game since his diagnosis.
We are so delighted to hear that brave Robert is doing well. It’s amazing what it can take for doctors to pick up on something like this.
