Hillary family drive cancer awareness

HILLARY resident Ariella Chellan’s story is one of love, faith and an unbreakable bond she shares with her brother, Aaron.

In October 2020, at the age of three, the youngster was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML), a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

After several long stays in hospital and undergoing aggressive chemotherapy in Durban, doctors were encouraged by biopsies that suggested Ariella’s cancer was in remission.

However, in 2021, just months later, a biopsy found a new molecular abnormality which suggested the chemotherapy had not been fully successful.

It was then that doctors suggested that a bone marrow / stem cell transplant, which needed to be done in Centurion, was one of the ways to save Ariella’s life.

Blood tests were done on both her brothers, David (14) and Aaron (10), and it was revealed that Aaron was a perfect match.

Three years later, she is now in full remission thanks to the selfless sacrifice of her brother Aaron who stepped up without hesitation.

As September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Queensburgh News chatted to Ariella’s family who spoke about their ordeal and their goal of raising awareness on childhood cancer.

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Ariella’s diagnosis

Ariella’s mother, Amanda, explained that her daughter’s diagnosis was picked up in a conversation with their local doctor, Dr Sophie Ramsaroop.

“It was the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, but Ariella had been running a high fever for quite some time. I treated her for the fever, but around two weeks later, I noticed she was listless, tired and had no appetite. We decided to take her to the doctor, and I thought maybe it was something viral. Dr Ramsaroop responded by saying Ariella was badly dehydrated, but she couldn’t pick up anything else so she suggested a drip.

“By chance, as we were leaving the surgery, I mentioned that Ariella had a pain in her arm. She immediately suggested a blood test, and that afternoon Ariella got even sicker. We were referred to a specialist, Dr Monica Vaithilingum, who ran more tests in hospital, and when she told us her diagnosis, we were in complete shock. It was one of the scariest things to hear as a parent. Through several doctor’s consultations in hospital, we were prepared for the worst. What followed were months of intense chemotherapy in Durban. Initially, the chemo seemed to have worked, but just months later, Dr Vaithilingum discovered the new molecular abnormality. That is when the decision of a stem cell transplant was confirmed and relayed to us,” she said.

Throughout treatment, a transplant was not something they ever wanted for Ariella due to the risks involved, however, Amanda and her husband, Brendan, spoke to their sons and explained the situation.

“It had been months earlier when we learnt that David was a nine-match and that Aaron was a perfect match. I asked Aaron, ‘If you could help save Ariella’s life, would you?’ and he replied, ‘Yes,’ without any hesitation. It was very traumatic for my eldest son, David, who felt he should have been the donor,” she explained.

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Amanda said the amazing medical teams in Durban and Centurion and her family’s strong faith helped them get through Ariella’s battle with cancer.

“Both my husband, Brendan, and I were resolute in our faith and that Ariella’s life was in God’s hands. During the time we spent in hospital, I saw the heartbreak of parents who lost their loved ones to cancer, and it was heartbreaking because we got to know their stories during our months’ long stay at the hospital. When the transplant was completed, it wasn’t smooth sailing as Ariella developed graft versus host disease (GvHD).

“This is a complication that can occur after a marrow transplant. Hers became so intense that it affected her appearance. To this day, her skin is still healing, and because of the GvHD, her hair growth has been stunted. Thankfully, through medication, she has been able to get stronger and better. She now has been able to go to school, something which wasn’t a possibility at the beginning of her diagnosis and battle. We are so blessed and blown away by how both our sons were willing to step up to help save their sister’s life. It really is a miracle she is here today. We are also deeply moved and grateful for the support of our family, our church and the community around us,” she said.

Ariella, who is in Grade R at Northdene Preparatory School, loves school and enjoys playing with her friends on the jungle gym, playing Uno with her family and watching cartoons.

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Brothers’ unconditional love

Her brother, Aaron, also explained how his sister’s cancer battle had brought them closer as a family.

“If I had to do it over again, I would. Although I was scared when my mom explained the procedure of a bone marrow transplant, I knew it had to be done to save Ariella’s life. Both David and I love her, and we’ve grown so much closer, from her diagnosis to her remission,” he said.

Ariella’s older brother, David, also echoed Aaron’s comments.

“I think we really cherish every moment we share as a family. It is something you take for granted, but if there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it is that every day is precious. We love doing things as a family, and as Aaron mentioned, we would step up to the plate if we ever needed to again,” he said.

Childhood cancer awareness month

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is recognised every September by childhood cancer organisations around the world. The Chellan family have become advocates for cancer awareness and raise funds for cancer foundations like the Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa (CHOC).

“We have a number of fundraisers this month in aid of CHOC. We’ve learned so much as parents over the past three years, and one thing we advocate for is doing something as simple as a blood test which could determine if something is wrong with your child’s health. We advocate the administration of the Siluan Mnemonic test, which is an early warning sign of childhood cancer,” she said.

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