‘Listen to your child’ – Dad’s warning after young son’s wobbly tooth and swollen jaw leads to cancer diagnosis

The parent of a seven-year-old boy whose wobbly tooth turned out to be jaw cancer has asked parents to “listen to your child” and “remain positive” for them.

James Kreyling, 40, and his wife Charlotte, 47, from Hadleigh, Essex, took their seven-year-old son Freddie to the dentist in May after he complained about a “wobbly tooth” and some swelling.

After a month of tests and antibiotics, during which time his jaw “swelled like a tennis ball”, Freddie was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma – an aggressive but treatable blood cancer.

Freddie, a sporty boy who enjoys rugby, tennis and the Chinese martial art Wing Chun, has been responding well to chemotherapy treatment and his parents hope he will be “fighting fit” by autumn.

James praised the “amazing” support of his colleagues in the East of England Ambulance Service, who are organising a charity skydive for Great Ormond Street Hospital in Freddie’s honour.

“You hear about the hospital, but until you or one of your family has actually been treated there, you don’t realise how special it is,” James told PA Real Life.

“It’s like a big community; everyone’s just so supportive. I can’t thank them enough.”

Charlotte added: “Listen to your gut and advocate fiercely for your child, even when it’s uncomfortable.

“Once things start moving, hold on to hope – children are stronger than you think, and you are too.”

When Freddie first complained about a wobbly tooth in early May, his parents thought it was “a little bit peculiar” because the culprit was an adult tooth at the back of his mouth.

The next morning, they noticed swelling inside his mouth and immediately took him to the dentist, who X-rayed his teeth and prescribed antibiotics.

When things did not improve, James took Freddie back to the dentist, who said his mouth was “very abnormal”.

They were told to go to Broomfield Hospital, where they were given stronger antibiotics and eventually a biopsy was taken.

“They removed his adult tooth because there was a risk of him swallowing it and suffocating,” James said.

After the biopsy results, Freddie was referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where he was eventually diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma.

According to Lymphoma Action, Burkitt lymphoma is a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer that affects around 250 people a year in the UK.

Most children who are treated for Burkitt lymphoma go on to make a full recovery.

It is characterised by lumps growing on your body, caused by swollen lymph nodes.

“Over the month or so between seeing the first dentist and actually being diagnosed, the right side of his face swelled like a tennis ball,” James recalled.

“It was like a hamster’s cheek.

“Nothing helped bring that swelling down, which we now know was the tumour.”

James said Freddie did not find the lump on his jaw particularly painful.

“It was a bit uncomfortable if you pressed, and he was having to eat on the other side of his mouth because he couldn’t chew,” he added.

Freddie started the first of four rounds of chemotherapy treatment the day after his diagnosis, with a consultant reassuring James they had caught the cancer “early-ish”.

“In my mind, I took that as a positive,” James said.

Now halfway through his treatment, James said the tumour has reduced in size by around 60%.

He added: “The first round was tough because he developed mouth ulcers.

“It’s painful and obviously it limited his eating and drinking.

“He’s had a feeding tube inserted, so if he’s not able to eat or he hasn’t gotten up to his suggested daily intake, then we can just top him up with that.”

Freddie is normally “full of beans” and enjoys playing rugby, tennis and golf.

“He loves playing rugby, so hopefully moving forward we might be able to get him back on the rugby pitch,” James said.

Before his diagnosis, he was also learning the Chinese martial art Wing Chun and attending weekly Beaver Scouts sessions.

He added: “He’s missing his friends, but obviously that’s where technology comes in.

“He’s got his iPad so he can play with his brothers and sisters and his school friends.”

James praised Great Ormond Street Hospital for the activities they run to keep the children entertained, saying Freddie “would’ve gone stir crazy” without the in-hospital school, radio station, and play specialists who have been “worth (their) weight in gold”.

He also thanked the charities Gold Geese, Cyclists Fighting Cancer and Young Lives vs Cancer for their support.

Some of James and Charlotte’s colleagues in the ambulance service are undertaking a 10,000ft charity skydive over the summer, which they have dedicated to Freddie.

James said: “They didn’t have an actual charity to donate towards, so my colleague asked, ‘Would you be happy if we did it for Freddie?’

“My wife and I agreed that we wanted all the money to go to Great Ormond Street.”

The fundraiser has now reached over £5,000.

“My wife worked for the ambulance service for 17 years, and at the end of September I’ll have done my 17th year,” James said.

“We’re never going to be able to repay our friends and family for the amount of love and support that they’ve shown us.”

James advised parents going through similar ordeals that they “have just got to remain positive for the child” because they “respond off positivity”.

“You fear the worst because you hear that cancer word,” he explained.

“It’s quite upsetting because it’s your child; your flesh and blood.

“But you just have to always have a goal – don’t look too far forward.

“We use reward charts to make sure he gets through each day.”

Whenever Freddie is polite to nurses, drinks enough water or takes his medication, he earns points towards a reward like a cuddly toy or a trip to the cinema.

James said: “It’s so he can have something to look forward to that keeps his spirits up.

“Keeping him positive is half the battle, really.”

The fundraiser for the charity skydive in Freddie’s honour can be found here: gofundme.com/f/give-to-gosh-on-behalf-of-freddie-kreyling