Young cancer survivors look forward to family festivities

Two Broome children will get the best present of all this Christmas - being surrounded by family and friends at home after spending the past year in hospital undergoing intense chemotherapy for leukaemia.

Mason Cavilla, 3, and Jasmin Bin Swani, 12, have left Princess Margaret Hospital, enabling them to return home and focus on their recovery.

The youngsters' courageous fight was highlighted in the Broome Advertiser in March this year.

The parents of the children said they were overjoyed to be spending Christmas together as a family.

The Cavillas will remain in Perth to be closer to relatives, while the Bin Swani family will celebrate Christmas in Broome.

Smiling three-year-old Mason Cavilla bears little resemblance to the photo taken of him just nine months ago during his battle, resting in the arms of his doting father, Chris.

The toddler was just two when he was whisked away to Perth unexpectedly for tests after falling sick last October and being diagnosed with leukaemia.

His mother Wendy Cavilla said the news devastated the family and turned their life upside down.

"We were shocked. You hear of these things happening to other people, you never think it's going to happen to your family," she said.

"We didn't know whether to pack for three days or three months."

During that time Mrs Cavilla found out she was expecting her second child.

"On one hand we were worried and devastated, on the other hand we were so excited about the news of the baby."

Mason spent the first eight months undergoing intense treatment including various drugs to target the cancer.

On May 28, the Cavillas welcomed their second boy, Colwyn, much to the delight of Mason, who was excited to have a new sibling.

The arrival brought overwhelming joy to the family after watching their older son go through his ordeal.

Mason was finally declared to be in remission in July, and will undergo maintenance therapy for at least the next two years.

He has since had to revisit hospital for other reasons but is showing signs of his former self since starting maintenance therapy.

"We started to get our boy back," Mrs Cavilla said.

"He started riding his tricycle, his scooter, running around, and his hair has grown back … he's bouncing all over the place."

After enduring months of uncertainty and anxiety, the family said they were now looking forward to celebrating Christmas together and no longer took things for granted.

"We don't stress about the little things anymore … we just celebrate that he is here," she said.

"We are so much more appreciative of life and each other … we're definitely celebrating family this year.

Mrs Cavilla thanked people for their support and prayers, and said the family hoped to return to Broome in the future.

Determined 12-year-old Jasmin Bin Swani fulfilled her ambition to return to school and start Year 7 - a day after arriving back in town from Perth following her battle with leukaemia.

The family finally reunited when Jasmin left hospital recently to continue treatment at home for the next 18 months.

She had been staying at PMH since February.

Last week, the brave youngster was all smiles for a photoshoot with her family in front of a colourful Christmas tree and was ready to celebrate the next chapter of her life.

Jasmin was diagnosed with leukaemia at 11, when she was due to start Year 7.

Her mother Rebecca Ross said her daughter had been nominated as a prefect and the youngster had been looking forward to starting her studies. Ms Ross said the ordeal had been challenging for Jasmin, who had to spend her 12th birthday in hospital, but she was determined to get well and get back to school.

The Broome community also rallied together to support the family, both through well wishes and donations.

Jasmin's relatives celebrated her return in true Broome style, holding a family barbecue. The youngster went back to school the next day to get back to studies and reconnect with her friends.

Ms Ross said although her daughter still had a "bit of a road" ahead, the family were looking positively to the future and were thrilled they had a real opportunity to be together properly since the start of the year.