Emma Pritchard, Clarence Valley Independent
In early 2020, following weeks of pain and discomfort, 12-year-old Central Coast resident Cohen Daly had an appointment with his local GP and was subsequently diagnosed with growing pains.
Eight months later, following his third medical appointment, he was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a type of cancer that begins in the cells which form bones.
The heartbreaking news shattered his family, including his grandparents Dave and Trish Seymore, who have called Copmanhurst their home for several years.
As Cohen bravely endured countless rounds of chemotherapy and three major surgeries in the Westmead Children’s Hospital to shrink and remove a 12.2cm tumour below his left tibia, along with 15 tumours in his lungs, the Copmanhurst community, and residents across the Clarence Valley, rallied together to support him and his family.
A GoFundMe page was set up, a market day was held to raise funds for Cohen, the Rest Point Hotel in Copmanhurst hosted a night of live entertainment, raffles and an auction, and several local businesses made generous donations in support of Cohen’s plight.
Overwhelmed by the generosity of the Clarence Valley community, Dave and Trish Seymore thanked everyone for the ongoing support and show of love for their beloved grandson as he continued to fight.
And just a few weeks ago, Cohen and his family finally received the news they had been longing and praying for.
After participating in a new trial in conjunction with intravenous and oral medication, a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, showed Cohen no longer has any active cancer cells in his body.
And at last, he was able to do what he had always been determined to do.
He loudly rang the bell in the oncology unit, signalling the end of a hard-fought battle, a battle that was won.
While Cohen will attend fortnightly check-ups for the next couple of months and take Lenvatinib daily for the next two years to help improve his health, for now, he is focusing on spending time with his family, planning adventures for the future, including a trip to Japan, and returning to high school in 2022 to commence his Year 8 studies.
Describing herself and the rest of Cohen’s family as ecstatic and overjoyed, Ms Seymore once again extended her sincere gratitude to everyone who donated, prayed for, and fought in spirit alongside her grandson.
“We’ve met so many people going through this journey, and the kindness of the people in our community is overwhelming, and we can’t thank them enough,” she said appreciatively.
“We’ve met people who we now call our friends for life, and the support has been so amazing.
“It’s just been a wild, wild ride.
“We always said Cohen is a born fighter, and he had a lot of people fighting with him too.
“We can’t thank everyone enough, and it’s great that we can share this news with them.”
This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 20 October 2021.
