After years of remission, eight-year-old Easton Trueman's leukaemia returned and he found himself back in Starship needing a bone marrow transplant. That's when his 10-year-old brother Eden stepped up.
“He wants his brother to be himself again and go to school.”
This is how Natalie Trueman explained her 10-year-old son’s decision to donate bone marrow to his younger brother who has been diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia.
Easton Trueman was diagnosed with B-cell Philadelphia positive chromosome leukaemia at just three years old.
After two years of brutal treatment, which included painful procedures and endless hospital visits, Easton was able to enter remission for three and a half years.
However, now aged eight, Easton has relapsed, is back in Starship Hospital, and requires a bone marrow transplant.
Older sibling Eden required a blood test to see if he matched with his younger brother. Next came a meeting with a doctor who explained the full transplant procedure.
"At first, Eden said no, because it involved an operation and needles," said Natalie.
But when the doctor explained he wouldn’t feel anything because of anaesthetic, Eden began to change his mind.
Easton had also mentioned to him the medication helps you "have a good sleep".
"The doctor also said it would really help his brother be well again, so Eden said OK," said Natalie.
The brothers will now be in hospital at the same time at some point during Easton’s treatment.
In order for Eden to donate, he will have an operation to extract some of his bone marrow which will then be sent to New Zealand Blood Service, due to him having a different blood type to his younger sibling.
“The doctors need to send it to NZ Blood to essentially remove the red cells, so it is just Eden’s stem cells, and transfuse them into Easton.”
The procedure is due to take place early this month.
'Immense' emotional and financial toll
Although the procedures are funded, Natalie said the emotional and financial toll the situation has taken on the whole whānau has been "immense".
"When Easton first relapsed it was especially difficult, because it takes a lot of patience to wait for the tests and results to see where Easton's leukaemia is at, and if the treatment is working."
She said it is scary seeing the baby of the whānau in pain.
The financial toll was also high on the family which lives in Tūrangi. "Because we need to be in Auckland for a total of six months to complete his treatment, but it could take up to a year for him to fully recover."
However, Natalie said the family is "so grateful" because their home community in Tūrangi and Taupō have been fundraising. This includes a Givealittle page which has been set up to help the family through this tough time.
'Caring and quietly resilient'
Prior to his relapse, Natalie said Easton enjoyed hanging out with his friends from school, bike riding, scootering, and playing Roblox.
She described him as "caring and quietly resilient".
Meanwhile, she said Eden is "beautifully confident", and has been "so understanding" about his parents not being able to spend as much time with him due to them being away from home, despite enjoying spending his time with his father, Mike Trueman.
"He enjoys kapa haka and going hunting/fishing with his dad."
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