Lyzer’s story: Finding friendship, family time and hope through Camp Quality

In 2019, three-year-old Lyzer was a bright, active, vibrant little boy who was getting ready to start pre-school. Over the Christmas holidays though, Lyzer’s visiting grandparents noticed that something wasn’t quite right.

“My dad kept saying ‘Lyzer isn’t right’ and I said, ‘I know but I don’t know what to do’. He was pale, lethargic and wasn’t eating well. Then one Sunday at a church event we noticed a bruise on his arm,” says Tanaelle, Lyzer’s mum.

Tanaelle asked a doctor at their church to look at the bruise, and she shared some of Lyzer’s symptoms. The doctor told the family to go straight to the Emergency Department at Gosford Hospital.

“At the hospital, they did a blood test and then we waited. They said the blood test would take about half an hour. Two hours later, and after a few inspections we have this daunting memory of the doctor walking into the room, swiping shut the curtain and then saying ‘Your son has cancer. We don’t know what type, but you need to go straight to Westmead Hospital.’”

“We have this daunting memory of the doctor walking into the room, swiping shut the curtain and then saying ‘Your son has cancer.”

Lyzer’s dad, sister and brother stayed home on the Central Coast while Tanaelle took Lyzer to Sydney. Early the next morning, Lyzer was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

Treatment started straight away, Lyzer was taken in for a central line, lumbar puncture and bone marrow aspiration.

“We were told the treatment was going to last for about two years, and a few weeks in we heard we’d be on the intensive treatment regime as there was more cancer still left than what they were hoping”

Following a year of intense chemotherapy, steroids, and countless procedures, Lyzer finally moved into maintenance therapy. “Treatment was unimaginable. You don’t know the struggle unless you’ve lived through it. Lyzer did two years of treatment, and the first year was incredibly intense. It’s so unpredictable because at the drop of a hat, you get a temperature and you’re back in the hospital.”

Lyzer’s siblings, Luella and Lakai, just turned eight when he was diagnosed, and they also craved normality – the highlights for them were the quality moments that Ronald McDonald and Camp Quality gave them.

“What does normality look like when they’re so young in this chaos of a cancer diagnosis? The kids still wanted to see their friends and go to their school, but how do they also get to see their mum and dad and their sibling? I guess every family’s going to be different, and I guess you’ll never know if you’re doing the right or wrong thing, you’re just going to try your best.”

“What does normality look like when they’re so young in this chaos of a cancer diagnosis?”

Lyzer has now been in remission for five years post treatment and is now in survivorship care.

“I don’t even remember when we registered for Camp Quality, but it was such a blessing to have something fun for Lyzer’s siblings, and eventually him, to do and have something for them to look forward to in such a chaotic period. The friendships that they’ve made and the kids that they see over again has been wonderful. The volunteers though…. They are THE BEST!”

“I don’t even remember when we registered for Camp Quality, but it was such a blessing.”

“We’ve done a few Family Camps. The last one that we did was at an Alpaca farm – it was so nice, just relaxing and being together. We really had quality time with the other families as well, sitting and chatting to them.”

“It’s so nice to be and to be able to encourage others or just hear their story, knowing that you’ve been through something similar. Not many people walk this path, and you wouldn’t know what it’s like unless you’ve been on it. So just having some insights I think is nice.”

“Camp Quality has been amazing. Their kindness is amazing! Lyzer’s first Kids’ Camp away from home was with Camp Quality, and he loved it. We love going to the Family Camp too. Camp Quality always thinks of everything to make the time away a real treat. It’s great to share a similar, if different, story with other families who have been through the struggle.”

Lyzer is now age ten and in year five. He is active, healthy, and looks forward to going on more Camp Quality programs.