It’s clear how incredibly challenging it is for a full grown adult to endure cancer treatments, considering the physical toll it takes on the body. Needless to say, it’s hard to imagine a toddler going through that same amount of suffering. When Kentucky toddler Molly Hughes was only 5-months-old, she was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma. She spent 130 days during the first year of her life in the hospital. While just a baby, she endured five grueling rounds of both radiation and chemotherapy treatments to save her life — a total of 15 months of treatments. But Molly fought cancer and against all odds, she won, according to Daily Mail .
Neuroblastoma is a ferocious form of cancer that typically affects children under 5-years-old. Molly’s specific form of this disease started with a genetic mutation that led to a disruption of the development of premature nerve cells. Chest tumors are common with this form of cancer, as well as symptoms of pain, droopy eyelids, and wheezing. It didn’t take Molly’s mother, Chelsea Hughes, long to realize that there was something wrong with her little baby.
Kentucky toddler beats stage 4 cancer, poses for photos https://t.co/a0IDNKDgKG #FoxNews
— Jared Merriss (@detjm147) April 5, 2019
Shortly after her diagnosis, little Molly had to undergo surgery to remove a tumor that had formed in her chest. Right after that, she had to begin chemotherapy. Chelsea looks back on how tough her daughter was throughout the whole process. Her family and friends surrounded her with love and support and even created ‘Molly Strong’ t-shirts.
“She would just bounce back after every treatment, I mean it would knock her down for a few days, but then she’d be up playing,” she said.
Molly kept bouncing back all the way to remission. Chelsea could hardly put her feelings into words when describing her reaction to her daughter’s clear scans. Molly was cancer free. Her parents and doctors will have to keep a close eye on her to ensure the cancer doesn’t return, but for now, the little girl is able to play and enjoy her life like a normal toddler. The treatments that ultimately saved her life did take their toll on her tiny body, as Molly now suffers from damaged hearing. Nevertheless, her mother is beyond grateful for her daughter’s life.
“She loves being outside from the time she gets up til she goes to bed, she’s just wild. She loves being outside from the time she gets up til she goes to bed, she’s just wild.”
