In 2012, four-year-old Jack Norman was diagnosed with ependymoma, a rare childhood brain tumour. This is his story.

“I lost it. Here was our little boy with a tube coming out of his brain… You have to look at tomorrow, the hope that’s there.”

Jack’s parents and teachers started to notice that he was becoming lethargic, withdrawn and had issues with balance. After numerous trips to the GP, the Norman’s were assured that Jack was fine. “We were not getting any answers,” Tanya said.

On a shopping trip with his Dad, Jack collapsed in the street. A CT scan revealed a massive tumour at the base of his brain. Jack’s father, Craig, knew that something was horribly wrong, “I could see the doctors looking at the scan. When I saw the looks on their faces, I knew…”
Jack’s parents were devastated, “this was the sort of thing that happened to someone else, and all of a sudden, we were someone else.” That night Jack underwent life-saving surgery followed by months of radiotherapy.

Although the surgery was successful, Jack’s treatment resulted in a small stroke which affected his speech.

Craig described it as a double blow. “He had to learn everything again. To sit up, to walk, to talk, the whole thing.”

Fortunately, Jack has made a full recovery and is now cancer-free. His parents hope that by sharing Jack’s story, it will help other families going through a cancer diagnosis.

Jack now has a bright future ahead of him and says ‘When I grow up, I want to be a builder’.

While most of us dread growing up, cancer patients and their families couldn’t hope for anything more. They all hope for a cancer-free future. Cancer Council’s Daffodil Day grows hope for the one in two Australians affected by cancer. Hope for better treatments, hope for greater support and hope for more survivors.