Real Life

Kiwi tot Mae beats cancer before turning two

Charlotte is truly inspired by her toddler, who bravely battled a devastating diagnosis

After an unplanned pregnancy fraught with severe morning sickness and hospitalisation, Charlotte Pritchard imagined the worst would be behind her once she gave birth to her daughter Mae.

Yet a mere eight months later, the young mum was bracing herself over the shock news that her precious baby had a rare cancer that develops in nerve tissue.

“I had some concerns when Mae was a few months old, but cancer never crossed my mind,” says Charlotte, who co-parents with Mae’s dad, Christchurch-based Jayden Chan, 23.

“She was breathing quite fast and things seemed to become a bit harder for her, like doing small movements, which seemed strange.

Of her daughter’s trauma, Charlotte says, “I don’t know how she coped so well.”

“My mum and I took her to the GP and saw the Plunket nurse, who both said, ‘She’s fine, babies just breathe a bit faster than us adults.’ I knew deep down that something wasn’t right, but it felt like people were saying, ‘You need to relax and not worry so much about her.'”

However, Charlotte’s maternal instincts were right. Two months later, she took Mae back to the doctor, explaining that her daughter had regressed. She wasn’t sitting up any more and was no longer able to push herself up on her tummy.

“The doctor then referred her on to a developmental paediatrician, but warned that if we went through the public system, it would take up to six months to see

someone,” says the 25-year-old, who lives with her parents Jo and George in Karaka, south of Auckland.

“My family decided we would go private so Mae could get seen straight away. The next week, the specialist saw her and was baffled, so he organised for her to have an MRI.”

Following the MRI, Charlotte was told Starship Children’s Hospital wanted them immediately, to perform an emergency surgery on Mae. They had found a large mass in the left side of her chest, extending to her spine and compressing her lungs and heart.

“Jayden came up to support both of us and we were just in complete shock at how massive it was,” Charlotte, a podiatrist, tells the Weekly through her tears.

The surgeons found Mae had a neuroblastoma, a type of cancer usually affecting kids under five.

However, because the tumour had been found before Mae turned one, her oncologist believed there was a greater chance of her surviving it.

‘She made it super easy to be positive… she was so smiley and so happy’

Since then, the brave toddler has endured eight rounds of chemotherapy, along with seven operations, including complex spinal surgery and an operation to take out 75 percent of the mass. “They couldn’t take it all out because it was sitting around vital organs and vital nerves. From that surgery some nerves were damaged, so her left hand has reduced strength and her left eye is droopy.”

During this time, the battle-weary mum says her only goal was to stay upbeat around Mae.

“I thought if I can be positive, then she’ll feed off my energy. And she made it super easy to be positive… she was so smiley and so happy. You’d look at her and not be able to tell what she was going through.

“I honestly don’t know how she coped so well with all the chemo, other than that she didn’t want to eat. On good days, she’d have some Greek yoghurt with feijoas. But it was very little. The hospital dietitians thought it best we go back to bottle-feeding her newborn formula so she was getting as many nutrients as she could.”

In June 2021, Mae completed her last round of chemotherapy before a CT scan revealed the news her family had hoped for – the beautiful tot was cancer-free.

Mae proudly showing off her cancer beads of courage

Reflecting on their harrowing journey, Charlotte is grateful for the “incredible” support they have received from Child Cancer Foundation (CCF).

“Our CCF coordinator Chelsea came to visit us at hospital and at home. She offered counselling services and gave us petrol vouchers so we could go to all the appointments. I’m so thankful for little things like her bringing coffee up to me in Starship.

“The CCF bead programme is really special too and Mae’s whole journey is now documented through these beads for every treatment. She’ll be proudly wearing them on her second birthday.” And in lieu of presents for Mae’s birthday on March 18, her family is asking friends to instead contribute to a fundraiser called The Great Kiwi BBQ for the organisation.

Now, as the pair slowly “get back out into the world”, Charlotte is looking forward to her daughter being able to interact and socialise with other children for the first time.

“She has just started swimming lessons and is so adventurous, cheeky and just loves playing outside, which she didn’t do much of while having chemo,” smiles Charlotte, looking down at her gorgeous girl. “Mae has no fear of anything. I’m totally inspired by her.”

Sign up to host a barbecue for the Child Cancer Foundation at greatkiwibbq.org.nz or donate to Charlotte’s fundraiser at greatkiwibbq.org.nz/charlotte-pritchard

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