The Samuel family needs help raising money for Robin to fight cancer.
The Samuel family needs help raising money for Robin to fight cancer.
Robin Samuel was only 1 year old when his parents got the devastating news this January: their baby had cancer.
His mum Rachel, who has links to Northland but lives in the UK together with her husband Nick, was taken aback after doctors revealed their son had high-risk neuroblastoma - a rare childhood cancer.
“Our lives turned completely upside down in that moment,” said the mum on a Zoom call with the Advocate.
In a bid to provide treatment that was not offered to children like Robin in the UK, the North London-based family took their son to a specialist hospital in Barcelona, Spain.
After their son’s overall cancer treatment was estimated to cost more than $1 million, his parents have left no stone unturned to secure the funds. They even have a dedicated Givealittle page for Northlanders who wish to donate for Robin’s costly but effective treatment.
Speaking from her temporary accommodation in Spain, Rachel said it all started after her son’s first birthday in January when he woke up with a “really weird-sounding cry.”
Rachel Samuel said their son meant the world to them.
Her motherly instincts kicked in and she soon had Robin checked and scanned by doctors in London, who instantly raised the alarm bells and asked the family to admit their son to the well-known Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Rachel said their fears were confirmed when paediatric doctors at the children’s hospital told them that her son had a 10-centimetre tumour. They said the cancer initially started in his right adrenal gland and had also spread to his abdomen, pelvis, spine, and bone marrow.
In the weeks that followed, their now 22-month-old had to go through several high-intensity chemotherapy treatments and surgeries.
The mum recalls seeing the positive results from the continuous treatment but couldn’t get her head around the excessive chemotherapy sessions for a toddler of his age.
“Both me and Nick had our parental instincts kick in and after much research and consultations decided to admit our son to the renowned Santo Joan de Deu hospital in Barcelona.”
Rachel said while they held the UK health system to high standards, as a parent she felt the treatment plan didn’t sit well with them or with Robin.
Rachel describes her son as a "tough cookie" who was dealing with his situation quite well.
“Our main mission is not only to save our son’s life but to ensure that he lives a healthy life in the long term.”
The family’s concern was justified when medical scans in the Barcelona hospital revealed another tumour that had gone undetected by doctors in the UK.
She said at the moment, Robin was undergoing treatment including radiotherapy and immunotherapy, which the medical practitioners say gives their son a good chance at a long, healthy and hospital-free life.
“One of the biggest differences from the UK hospital is that doctors here allow patients to go outside the hospital sometimes to get some fresh air.”
Since the Barcelona Hospital was located on a hill that was near the coast and the Balearic Sea, the parents often took Robin out for beach walks during suitable hours.
Rachel says as parents they will keep on fighting until their baby is in good health.
Rachel thinks her son probably understands a bit about his situation and considers him to be a “tough cookie” as he didn’t fuss about anything.
“Usually after treatments, he develops some rashes and swellings and his body turns hot. But these are all within the parameters of having such treatment and with each time, he seems to be coping quite well.”
However, she didn’t hesitate to admit that the family was “now living a new normal life”.
Rachel also said it was her dream to bring Robin and her husband to New Zealand, a plan that got foiled due to Covid-19 a few years ago but she hopes to visit the country, including the Northland region, after their son’s complete recovery.
She vividly remembers the mesmerising seven years in the early 2000s she spent in Aotearoa - the last three years being in Northland.
After Immigration New Zealand didn’t consider her scuba diving career as substantial enough for residency, she took up journalism, a career she thrived on in London.
The then editor of the Advocate, Laura Franklin, happily accepted her and Rachel recalls working for a year before bidding farewell to the team for the UK.
“That was the same time I met Lucy Mullinger, who was kind enough to set up the fundraising page for our little man this year. So a big thanks to her.”
Rachel said for the pair, their son meant the world to them.
Avneesh Vincent is the crime and emergency services reporter at the Advocate. He was previously at the Gisborne Herald as the arts and environment reporter and is passionate about covering stories that can make a difference. He joined NZME in July 2023.
