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Molly Hughes was not even a year old when she was diagnosed with stage four cancer – but after almost a year and a half, the Kentucky toddler has no more cancer.
At the age of just five months, doctors discovered that Molly had a neuroblastoma, a cancer that usually strikes children under five.
The girl had 15 months of chemotherapy, his mother, Chelsea Hughes, told WKYT.
But now that she's released from the hospital, Molly is "wild," playing happily outside, as if her battle with cancer had never happened.
Nothing could reassure Chelsea more than the moment she learned that cancer was no longer on her daughter's scans.
In April, Molly Hughes, 21 months, has no more cancer. His family and his doctors will have to remain vigilant in case his stage-four neuroblastoma recurs, but for now, it's a "happy day".
Molly was diagnosed at the age of five months and spent 130 days in the hospital
"I fell to the ground after hanging up on the phone and I just hugged her for about five minutes," she told WKYT.
Molly's cancer began with a genetic mutation that disrupts the development of immature nerve cells.
In general, these cells, called neuroblasts, eventually become the adrenal glands that rely on the kidneys and produce important hormones.
These are formed completely only after birth and in some cases immature cells can divide uncontrollably and become cancerous.
Neuroblastomas can form in the abdomen or chest.
Molly was only five months old when she was diagnosed and had to immediately start chemotherapy and radiation treatments to treat her cancer.
Abdominal neoblastomas can cause pain in the area as well as constipation or diarrhea.
Chest tumors can also cause pain, wheezing and ocular abnormalities, such as drooping eyelids or pupils of unequal size.
Chelsea and Molly's doctors soon realized that something was wrong with her little girl.
As soon as her diagnosis was made, at five months old, Molly was operated on to remove her tumor, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Molly (center) spent much of her youth – including Christmas – at the hospital, accompanied by her mother, Chelsea (right) and Santa Claus (left).
The sparkling toddler had his last treatment in January. Four months later, his scanners are free of cancer
In the United States, about 800 people – mostly infants and young children – are diagnosed with neuroblastoma each year, but with treatment, 80% of children are still alive five years later.
While undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy, Molly had to spend 130 days in the hospital.
"I do not think people realize, until you get there, how difficult it is," Chelsea said.
In addition to the difficulties of treatment, Molly looked healthy and Chelsea found herself obliged to explain her daughter 's illness again and again.
But his little girl was resilient from the first day.
Chelsea (left), her husband Robbie (right) and Molly's older brother (second from left) are all delighted that Molly is at home with light scans
"It would bounce right after each treatment, I mean it would turn it off for a few days, but then it would play," said Chelsea.
The family rallied around this sparkling toddler, creating the "Molly Strong" hashtag, words that Molly often wore on T-shirts during treatment.
But, finally, Molly can stop fighting and start doing everything a 21-month-old should have – and she did not miss a minute.
"She loves being outdoors from the moment she gets up until she goes to bed, she's just unleashed," Chelsea said.
& # 39;[She is] so full of energy and loves to do what a baby should do. & # 39;
Extensive cancer treatments have damaged Molly's hearing, but that does not seem to slow her down much.
Most neuroblastomas do not come back – only five to ten percent of patients have recurrences – but, in case, Molly would join a clinical trial and start a new medication to prevent relapse on Monday.
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