Meet Josh

After feeling sore lumps on his neck, 12-year-old Josh underwent a series of tests and was diagnosed with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Following his diagnosis, Josh went through 6 rounds of intensive chemotherapy at the Kookaburra ward.

Josh faced a range of side effects throughout his treatment, such as infections and nausea. Yet despite the aggressive treatments, Josh’s cancer persisted. This prompted a shift to outpatient chemotherapy and Josh started preparing for a bone marrow transplant.

After finding a stem cell donor match, Josh underwent the transplant. He celebrated his 13th birthday on the ward, whilst facing post-transplant complications such as graft-versus-host disease, a condition where the newly implanted stem cells view the body’s healthy cells as a threat and attack.

A year on from his diagnosis, following months spent in the hospital, Josh is now back home recovering, with regular hospital visits to check up on his progress.

Thank you to Josh’s mother Glenda for sharing this story with the Good Friday Appeal.