Claire Reid
A devastated mother has been given the heart-breaking news that her 13-year-old son has up to a year to live after he developed a limp and began to lose his balance.
‘Adventurous’ Arnold Chappin was taken to see his GP by his mum Ruth after he started to limp and began to fall over earlier this month.
Ruth and Arnold’s dad Brett initially put it down to the teen being ‘clumsy’ but started to worry when he began to struggle to put on his socks and shoes and was finding it difficult to use his left hand.
He was taken for neurological tests and an MRI scan by specialists in a paediatric unit, where it was discovered he had weakness down his left-side, his reflexes weren’t as they should be and that he was lacking coordination.
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Following more tests, it was revealed that Arnold - known as Arnie - had an aggressive tumour called Brain Stem Glioma, and his devastated parents were told he may have between just six months and a year left to live.
Ruth told the Manchester Evening News: "When we saw the consultant, I knew straight away it was going to be bad news because of the way he was. Then they told us there is nothing they can do, it is a really aggressive tumour and that there is no cure.
"We couldn't believe it. We were shocked and just completely devastated. They told us if he didn't have radiation he has six to nine months to live, but with radiation treatment he could live for up to a year."
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Ruth, who is originally from Manchester but now lives in Bedford, also recalled the moment that she lay beside him in the hospital bed and told him the news.
"Once we found out the news and told him he had cancer, he kept acting questions. He knew how serious it was and picked up on that. We tried to be positive in front of him, but it's impossible," she said.
"He kept saying 'am I going to lose my hair?' and 'am I going to be okay?' At the beginning we could reassure him because we weren't expecting it to be so devastating. As a parent, you are grasping onto any kind of hope.
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"I was lying in the hospital bed early in the morning last Friday and and asked me, 'Am I going to survive mum?' I knew I had to tell him the truth. I looked at him and said 'No, you're not', and he just broke down crying.
"I told him he wouldn't be on his own and we would be with him every step of the way. I've been blown away by the way he's handled it all.
"You have to just to try and carry on as much as you can. You have to try to forget about it all for a few minutes and pretend it's not really happening.
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"He is so courageous. I feel like he has taught me how to live life to the fullest. He's so positive and full of energy and enthusiasm for life."
Ruth and Brett now want to create as many final happy memories with Arnold and his siblings Arnold and his siblings George, 20, Stella, 18, Henry, 15 and Ivan, two, as they can.
His uncle - Ruth’s brother - has set up a GoFundMe page to try and help the family move back to Manchester as well as cover the cost of some experiences Arnold would like to do, such as going out for a spin in an Audi R8, zip-lining and meeting his favourite rapper Jordan McCann.
You can donate to the fundraiser here.