Our journey started on the day that Milo was born. Although my pregnancy scans had not picked up any problems, Milo was struggling to breathe and when he was just 72 hours old he went into heart failure. He'd been born with coarctation of his main aorta and three holes in his heart and needed a nine-hour operation.
Once Milo had recovered, we finally felt like we could take a breather, relax and enjoy every minute with our baby. He'd been through his fair share of bad luck but we were focusing on the future. Not once did it enter our heads that at just three, we would have to face further devastating news about our little boy.
A few months after Milo's brother Noah was born, I noticed that his appetite had vanished and he seemed permanently exhausted. Our GP referred us to hospital for more tests where he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of a rare cancer called Wilm's Tumour in both of his kidneys. He was just three years old. The doctor also broke the news that the cancer had already spread to his lungs, liver, abdomen and up the main vein to his heart. Milo started chemotherapy immediately and needed surgery to remove his left kidney. He later had surgery to remove the tumours on his right kidney.
By the time Milo was five, he'd been through so much but being the fighter he is, he started school. This was a huge achievement and milestone for us, and we felt so proud of him after all he'd been through.
Everything was relatively smooth running for a while until Milo's cancer returned again. He had to go through more chemotherapy and stem cell transplant to successfully remove it. Following the second diagnosis we decided to have Milo's other kidney removed, as it minimised the chances of the cancer returning. Milo now receives dialysis three times a week, in Glasgow, and will do for the next two years, when, if he remains cancer free, he can have a transplant.
For a child who has been through so much, he always has a smile on his face and is a very cheeky character! He's like any other boy his age, he loves Minecraft, you can't get him off it during his treatment, but that's ok, it's really time consuming so it keeps him happy and distracted.
Milo is an inspiration to us all. He's already set his sights on the future and wants to be a chef when he grows up and we'll be there to support him every step of the way.
Photo credit: TK Maxx Give Up Clothes for Good
Milo and his family are supporting Give Up Clothes For Good with TK Maxx and Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens. Simply donate a bag of unwanted clothes, accessories and quality homeware by taking it to your local TK Maxx shop. Each bag is then sold at Cancer Research UK shops to raise money to fund research into cures and kinder treatments for children and young people with cancer. Visit cruk.org/kidsandteens for further information.