When the Shaw family flew out to Spain for a week under the sun, they couldn’t wait to enjoy a much-needed break.
It had been a difficult year since eldest son Maison was diagnosed with sarcoma in January, a rare type of cancer that can appear anywhere in the body.
The shocking news came after the 18-year-old began experiencing cramp-like pains and a swollen leg.
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Having completed his gruelling treatment, the family, from Openshaw, decided to treat themselves to a trip to Almeria.
But a new nightmare would unfold when car rental apprentice Maison started suffering pain in his back just three days into the holiday.
His mum Zara, 37, thought he might have pulled a muscle playing with his four-year-old brother Joel in the pool.
But when his stomach swelled and he lost all sensation in his feet, his loved ones knew something was seriously wrong.
It was later confirmed Maison had a collapsed lung and spinal compression, where pressure on the spinal cord stops the nerves from working normally.
Sadly, tests revealed an extremely fast-growing mass that hadn’t shown up on scans before the holiday. Though the family anxiously await confirmation, it’s believed the cancer may have returned.
“We don’t get how this has happened so fast,” NHS worker Zara said. “There had been no change to his scans, they were all fine. It grew so fast.”
“Fit and healthy” Maison first started experiencing cramp in his leg while playing a game with a friend on New Year’s Eve 2023.
His family grew worried when his leg became swollen over the following hours, prompting them to take him to hospital.
Scans and tests showed nothing of concern and the family were told Maison likely had a cyst that would go down in a few days.
But as his pain persisted, with medication offering no relief, mum-of-three Zara decided to call 111 and was advised to go to A&E.
By this point, blood circulation to Maison’s foot had been impacted, with medics believing he had compartment syndrome, a painful build-up of pressure around the muscles. Emergency surgery was carried out to remove the pressure.
Following the procedure, Maison’s family were told surgeons discovered and removed a growth but it “didn’t look sinister”.
As he recovered in hospital, Maison was unexpectedly called for a CT scan followed by an MRI. By this point, Zara says alarm bells were starting to ring.
“As his mum, I just knew something was wrong,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “I asked why but no one could tell me anything.”
Maison was then diagnosed with sarcoma, a rare type of cancerous tumour that develops in the bone and connective tissues such as fat, muscle, blood vessels and nerves. Sadly his condition is terminal but it can be managed and contained with treatment.
“The only word I heard was ‘oncology’ and I knew what that meant,” Zara added.
Maison began his chemotherapy treatment at the end of January before going on to have radiotherapy.
Once his treatment was over, the family decided to go on holiday to Spain for some much-needed downtime. Maison’s scans showed his condition had been managed and he was declared fit to fly by medics.
“We were all so excited about going away,” Zara said. “For the first three days of holiday, it was amazing. Maison loved relaxing and going in the pool. He was loving that he could have a pint now he’s 18.”
But everything changed when Maison threw his little brother into the pool and felt a sudden pain in his back.
“We thought he had pulled his back or his nerve was playing up,” Zara added. “He ended up staying in the room. The next day, he was in so much pain that we went to hospital.”
A CT scan was carried out and Maison was sent back to the hotel with paracetamol. The following day, he was unable to walk, with medics visiting the hotel and giving him steroids.
Zara decided to call an ambulance when his stomach started to swell and they returned to hospital. There, an MRI scan revealed a collapsed lung and spinal compression. By this point, Maison was unable to move his feet.
Though surgery to remove the pressure from his spine was successful, Maison is still partially paralysed and unable to walk. It is not yet known whether this will be permanent.
Maison was also told he would not be fit to fly for some time, with the family now making the decision to spend four days driving back to the UK.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Maison said on his diagnosis and journey: “I was shocked at the beginning.
“I just get on with it. This happening in Spain has been the most scary experience I have had to go through.
“I just want to get home so I can work on myself and hopefully regain mobility and get back to being independent. I used to do boxing and this is one fight I’m ready for.”
A fundraiser has now been set up to help get the family back to the UK while funding any home adaptions they might need for Maison.
“I don’t think any of this will sink in until we’re home and safe,” Zara added. “I can let it all out as I’m trying to be strong for Maison.
“This is going to be a long recovery. The GoFundMe is being used to get us back but also for adapations that he might need.”
To donate, follow the link by clicking here.
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