In 2014, when Ethan Van Aswegen was four years old, he was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma – a type of Sarcoma, which is a cancer of the soft tissue. Doctors were able to operate and he was then treated with chemotherapy for over a year. In 2017 Ethan was supposed to start Grade 1 but the chemo had taken such a knock on his little body that he was unable to do so.
In June 2017 his family noticed a small red speck in the same eye that the previous tumour had been in. Tests revealed that his cancer was back and this tumour was fast growing, aggressive and inoperable.
As a result, he is receiving a long term and very aggressive treatment plan with much stronger chemo doses. Treatments happen weekly and are very hard on him. Ethan and his family stay in Benoni and have to travel every week to Pretoria for treatment. The continuous hospital stays and travel back and forth puts a huge strain on his parents, who both work and on his four-year-old brother Liam, who doesn’t understand what is going on.
Gina Fraundorfer, Cecile Cotty and Mum’s Mail’s Melinda Bromley recently ran a 21km race to create awareness for Ethan. They also raised funds for Ethan’s family, through sponsorship and a raffle. They raised R18 000 which was handed over to the family recently.
Treatment is ongoing and the Going Gold 4 Ethan campaign was started to try to take away some of the everyday burdens this family has to face. Without the financial stress they can focus their attention where it is needed most – their children.
To support this family, visit the Facebook page “Going Gold 4 Ethan” or e-mail.