Doctors thought toddler just had a sickness bug - then he was given a day to live

Doctors thought toddler just had a sickness bug - then he was given a day to live Doctors classified toddler Dominic as "failure to thrive" and his vomiting was believed to be a sickness bug, but as his symptoms worsened the hospital revealed something much worse Doctors believed a toddler’s vomiting was a sickness bug - but his mum was later told he could die in the next 24 hours without treatment. At just six months old, mum Kristiana Jansone, 33, noticed a change in her son, Dominic Rockcliffe. Doctors later classified him as “failure to thrive” - a term used to describe a child who is not growing at the expected rate for their age. As Dominic became increasingly unwell and started vomiting, doctors initially believed he had a sickness bug or acid reflux. But in September 2023, after he began vomiting constantly, Kristiana rushed him to Morriston Hospital in Swansea, where he was later diagnosed withbBrain cancer. Kristiana said: “He was still sick and poorly and we went into Morriston Hospital one weekend because he was vomiting constantly, was losing so much and couldn’t retain any liquids - nothing at all food or drink.” The symptoms proved to be a sign of something far more serious. An MRI scan revealed Dominic had hydrocephalus and optic pathway glioma (BRAF fusion) - a type of brain cancer caused by the BRAF gene fusing with another gene, creating a permanent “on” switch for cancer cell growth. Kristiana said: “When they sat me down and told me what’s happening with him I couldn’t believe it. It felt like everything was going in slow motion and I was obviously holding him at the time and couldn’t believe this little tiny boy had such an unfortunate fate. I did cry, I was in absolute despair, but I had to compose myself as I have another child.” The family was transferred to Cardiff, where the now three-year-old underwent emergency surgery at Cardiff Children’s Hospital to fit a VP shunt to drain fluid from his brain. Kristiana added: “They [doctors] came in and explained the situation and said he does have a tumour but also had something called hydrocephalus. They said the fluid had built up so much that if they don’t drain it in the next 24 hours he is going to die.” Two years after his diagnosis, Dominic contracted meningitis after his VP shunt became infected, leaving him in hospital for eight weeks. He underwent three rounds of chemotherapy, but the treatment failed to stop the cancer from progressing. His family now hoped to take the toddler to Latvia for targeted therapies, including the drug Tovorafenib - a weekly oral medication only available in the EU. After a recent MRI confirmed the cancer had continued to grow, Dominic recovered from another shunt surgery and was due to undergo temporary treatment to ensure he was fit to fly. Kristiana said: “He has had three rounds of chemotherapy. Every single time it’s been picked up that it’s not working. An MRI in April showed growth again which means we’ve exhausted all chemotherapies for him in Cardiff.” Thankfully, Dominic has dual citizenship, meaning he is eligible for the treatment. Kristiana is now raising money to cover travel, accommodation, food and other costs while the family stays in Latvia. Kristiana added: “Luckily Dominic has the privilege of dual citizenship - the hospital in Latvia and everything is free for us. “Dominic will be the first child in Latvia to get the new drug. Unfortunately for us all my family members in Latvia have passed away - my mum and grandmother died of cancer. So we’ll be staying in hotels, renting a car and buying plane tickets. “We have somewhere to stay, we have transportation and I’ve just now bought tickets to Latvia at the end of July and paid £1,600 just for the flights and all the suitcases we’ll need.” You can donate to Kristiana’s fundraiser here.