A special birthday wish

Logan with mum Jo Ashcroft. Photo: Joe Mastroianni

Little Logan celebrated his fourth birthday on Monday and his family had a very big wish.

After seven months of chemotherapy, Logan’s test results this Friday will tell if he is in remission.

“He finished his last treatment on March 2 and we’re still waiting on further tests to see if he’s in remission or not,” Logan’s mother Jo Ashcroft said.

“We hopefully find out on Friday.”

Logan was diagnosed at birth with a rare genetic disorder called Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome, also classed as an overgrowth syndrome in children.

“Roughly one in 13,000 people are diagnosed with BWS,” Ms Ashcroft said.

“With all of that comes all different complications, like overgrowth in the body, their cells are a lot bigger.

“At birth, they’re higher weight, they have enlarged tongues to enlarged organs – there’s all different spectrums of it.

“With that, also comes increased risk of childhood cancer because of the rapid growth in their body.”

Logan has been screened for cancer every three months from the day he was born.

“In May last year, they picked up a cyst in his kidney,” Ms Ashcroft said.

“Within a week, he was biopsied and diagnosed with a Wilms tumour.

“He went in to a six-week course of chemotherapy. They removed the tumor and a little portion of his kidney.”

Brave Logan then underwent another 27-weeks of chemotherapy.

The Hoppers Crossing family is determined to help others going through similar circumstances. The family has a Relay for Life team, Logan’s Heroes, which raises money for the Cancer Council.

One of its fundraising events in the lead-up to this year’s relay will be a car boot sale.

The sale is on Saturday, March 24 from 9am-1pm at the Louis Joel Arts and Community Centre, 5 Sargood Street, Altona.

Entry is by gold coin donation or $15 for a car.

Details: 0407362021