A 15-year-old schoolboy who was initially thought to have asthma is facing the possibility of having only months to live after doctors discovered a rare tumour on the back of his heart.
Jude Hazard, from Silksworth in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, began experiencing breathlessness earlier this year while doing everyday activities such as walking up the stairs. His family said it was believed to be asthma until he visited A&E in July, where a scan revealed an 8cm tumour on the back of his heart.
He has since had the tumour removed, but there are no other treatment options available in the UK to kill the remaining cancer in the lining of his left atrium, his family said. Jude is currently crowdfunding for potentially life-saving treatment, which is only available in Japan or America. If no treatment can be found, he may only have a couple of months left to live.
Diagnosis and surgery
Jude was diagnosed with Intimal Sarcoma, a rare form of vascular cancer. Doctors have said the teen's cancer is so rare that it is estimated to affect only one or two in 100 million people, and those are most usually adults.
Shaun Ward, 36, a cousin of Jude's, said: "The doctors said they have never seen a case in a child, which shows how rare it is." The electrician said the family were "heartbroken" when they were told of the diagnosis.
Jude began feeling breathless in May while performing ordinary tasks. His parents, Katie Hazard, 39, and Daniel Hazard, 42, took him to their local GP, who they said thought it might be asthma and provided him with an inhaler. The teen tried four different inhalers without a change in his symptoms, his family said.
Emergency surgery and recovery
His parents then took him to Sunderland Hospital, where medics performed a chest scan and found a large tumour on the back of his heart. Shaun said the family were "in bits" when they were told about the tumour.
Jude was then blue-lighted to Freeland Hospital in Newcastle, where he underwent a five-hour emergency surgery to remove the tumour. During the operation, Jude died for two minutes, his family has revealed. Surgeons were not able to remove the tumour fully, with parts of it still in his left atrium lining.
Shaun said Jude was currently recovering and feeling "positive" about the prospect of further treatment. He said: "He is feeling a lot better and is enjoying hanging out with his friends. As a family, we are just happy to have found it when we did, as who knows how much longer it could have been until he stopped breathing."
Crowdfunding for treatment
The family are currently crowdfunding to raise money while exploring treatment options abroad for Jude. So far, if there is one, it might only be available in Boston, USA, and Japan. The family have approached the hospitals and are waiting to hear back. They are aiming to raise £75,000 to ensure they can get started with the treatment.
Jude said: "I am feeling okay at the moment. I just want everything to go back to normal so I can continue to just live my life as I used to do. I am currently enjoying my time with friends."
His mum Katie said the surgeons and doctors had all said what a "strong, courageous boy" her son was. She said: "Jude is well-liked and a very sociable kid. He loves nothing more than being out with friends, eating out and loves good food. He attends the gym daily, and is such a bright boy, loving, generous, caring and a thoughtful young man. We are just so grateful to everyone who has supported us through a GoFundMe page."
Shaun said: "We are overwhelmed with the amount of support the community has shown us over the past couple of weeks. We are all hoping Jude can get back to normal soon." Shaun will be completing the Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds for Jude in September. To donate, visit the GoFundMe page.
