Brave Crosby youngster wins his fight against brain tumour

Jan 22 2009 by Gillian Stratton, Crosby Herald

Mark Cheminais

LITTLE Mark Cheminais has beaten all the odds.

In his short life the six-year-old has faced more challenges than most adults.

At the age of two, Mark, who lives in Waterloo with dad Andre, mum Jane and sisters Becky, 15, and Beth, nine, was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

The family has now been told by doctors at Alder Hey that Mark is in complete remission.

In October 2005 the Ursuline pupil underwent a six-hour operation on his brain which was followed by high-dose chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.

His bravery touched the hearts of Crosby Herald readers who nominated him to turn on Crosby’s Christmas lights.

Dad Andre, of Brooke Road West, said: “His final scan was clear and we can now look to the future, rather than just waiting three months for the results of his next scan.

“Mark is a star, he has coped so well. He has had to go through things that a lot of adults would not be able to handle. He still has problems, he has to wear hearing aids in both ears, his balance is also affected and he falls over a lot. But our main worry has now been lifted, it is great news.

“He is slightly behind other pupils in his class but we hope that he can receive a good education and go on to become an effective member of society.

“The staff at Ursuline have all been very supportive, they are doing everything they can for him and we appreciate that, he is in year one and his teachers are fantastic. Mark loves school.

“We have had so much support from our family, I don’t know how we would have managed without them. Becky had to grow up quite quickly and has been a huge help to us, so has Beth.

“The whole community has offered us sympathy and support, including those who attend St William of York Church with us.

“There have been times when Mark has had setbacks, like when he had septicaemia, at times like that just knowing people are there for you and thinking of you is a comfort.

“It has been very stressful for Jane and myself, every three months you worry that something will show up. Waiting for the results of scans is an indescribable feeling, but now we can move on from that.”

Mark, who enjoys watching TV shows Peppa Pig and Thomas the Tank Engine, doing jigsaws and arts and crafts, was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma brain tumour. Medulloblastomas usually occur in children between the ages of three and eight. They make up about 20 per cent of all childhood brain tumours.

The Cheminais family has had a lot of support from children’s cancer charity CHICS and are now active fundraisers for the group.