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 Story of Hope  Nicholas Lopez knows how terrifying cancer can be. Shortly before his seventh birthday, Nicholas was plunged into a strange and frightening world after his Dad found a tiny lump underneath his arm while playing with him.
The lump was only the size of a pinhead. But Nicholas' mother, Gemma, decided to take her son to the doctor just in case. Thank goodness she did. To her shock and distress, it turned out that her little boy had fibrosarcoma, a cancer of the soft tissue that doctors are still struggling to understand.
“The specialists told us they had little idea what to do. The only thing for certain was that the lump had to be removed quickly in order to prevent it spreading to his lungs."
“The first thing Nicholas asked when he went to hospital was, “am I going to die?”. I was so upset. I told him we would do everything to make sure this thing he had would go away.”
The next months were terribly difficult for Nicholas and his family. Over a series of operations, surgeons removed not just the lump, but also large amounts of muscle from Nicholas' arm and chest.
The worst moment came when an x-ray seemed to show a shadow on Nicholas' lung. Fortunately, it was a false alarm.
But the effect of that scare was traumatic, and has never left Nicholas. Even though his body has been free of cancer for several years, he still lives in fear of his bimonthly check-ups.
“The two weeks following his appointments are a nightmare for Nicholas. He waits for the phone call that will tell him that his cancer is back. One time I picked him up from football with my eyes watering from hay fever. He thought I was crying and said, “Is it back, is it back? Am I dying?”.
Help families like Nicholas' Fifty years ago, a diagnosis of childhood cancer was a virtual death sentence, with only 5% of children surviving. Today, thanks to breakthroughs in research that The Cancer Council helps to fund, nearly 80% of children survive.
But the tragic fact is, 1 out of every 5 children diagnosed with cancer still loses their life. And as Nicholas' experiences with fibrosarcoma show, even those who survive often face an uncertain future - knowing that their cancer could return at any time.
You can help researchers find the answers to cancers like fibrosarcoma by selling Cancer Council merchandise this Daffodil Day. Whether you're selling at work or home, you'll have a lot of fun whilst doing your bit to ensure every child diagnosed with cancer can grow up free from fear.
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