At just three years old, Dominic Rockliffe has endured more than most people will in a lifetime: brain surgeries, biopsies, chemotherapy, shunt revisions, blood transfusions, countless scans, hospital stays, ambulance rides, infections, months of recovery, and three devastating tumour relapses. His mother, Kristiāna Jansone, has faced some of the worst days of her life since his diagnosis.
Diagnosis After a Sickness Bug
At 10 months old, Dominic was diagnosed at Swansea's Morriston Hospital in 2023 with optic pathway glioma (BRAF fusion), a rare brain tumour affecting the optic nerve, and hydrocephalus, a condition caused by fluid buildup on the brain. Kristiāna initially thought he had a sickness bug. "He was throwing up all the time and not taking in any liquids. He had lost a lot of weight and was just skin and bones at this point," she said. An MRI revealed the tumour and hydrocephalus. "It was so critical that we were ambulanced to Cardiff straightaway and within two hours we were being told that surgery needed to be performed that night or he was going to die."
A Parent's Worst Nightmare
Kristiāna described the experience as a parent's worst nightmare. "I sat down and I just couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that it was happening to me. You always think: 'It's never going to happen with my child' and then it happened." She went into a "numb sensation" and had to keep herself together for her other son, Henry. It took a year of therapy to process the trauma. "Part of me wanted to scream and cry inside but I couldn't do that – I had to keep it together for my children."
Multiple Surgeries and Failed Treatments
Dominic has undergone 10 surgeries in three years, including two biopsies, two VP shunts, three central lines, a hernia repair, and a gastrostomy feeding tube. His chemotherapy failed, and he developed meningitis. "His tumour was growing, he had meningitis, the VP shunt had to come out of his body – it was the most horrific eight weeks, not knowing if he was going to survive," Kristiāna said. Despite everything, Dominic remains positive. "He always laughs and he always chatting. You can be a complete stranger and he will start telling you jokes: 'Why did the chicken cross the road?'"
Seeking Treatment Abroad
With UK options exhausted, Kristiāna is taking Dominic to Latvia for specialist oncology care. Doctors there will explore targeted therapies, including Dabrafenib, a drug for BRAF-mutated cancers. The family needs £20,000 for travel, accommodation, and medical expenses; over £11,000 has been raised so far. Kristiāna expressed gratitude: "Jacob Crane Foundation was the first to donate £1,000, then we had anonymous donations of £2,000 and £1,300. I couldn't believe it."
Hope for a Normal Life
Dominic's next MRI is scheduled for July 21 in Latvia. "I'm putting all my eggs in this basket and I am hoping that this is going to perform a miracle," Kristiāna said. "We just want him to have a normal life and for him to be cancer-free and have the best possible life he can have without being in hospital all the time."
