Our Pal - Daniel A

Story written 2008

Dan is 13 years old and his sister Mollie has been featured on Post Pals for some time.

Doctors have found a large mass in Dan’s knee bone and have told us that it is very serious and life threatening as they think its cancer, they just don’t know which type until they have done more tests. They have referred him to Birmingham hospital which he will go to this week. We don’t know for how long for but they told us to prepare for a long stay.

Update 16th March 2011

Now that Daniel is 16 I think it’s time for Daniel to leave Post Pals and make a space for another sick child.

What Post Pals has done for Daniel has been amazing and I would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to write to Daniel and send him gifts.

I hope that these generous people can now send the gifts and cards to another deserving child and put a smile on their faces like they have done with Daniel.

Once again, I’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to send Daniel post for the last couple of years.

Update 10th January 2011

Daniel is doing really well with his physio although they have told us his leg will never be straight and it is as straight as he can get it. He goes to the hospital next week for routine tests so we are hoping everything is going to be ok.

Daniels PSP got stolen so he no longer uses one but he’s still into greyhounds and music.

Thank you for Daniel’s Post Pals post, it’s very appreciated.

Update 9th December 2010

Daniel saw the consultant from Birmingham the other day and he was really pleased with Dan’s progress, even though he his still unable to bend or straighten his leg fully. They can’t see it getting any better though and think it will be like that permanently.

Many thanks to everyone who continues to send post to Daniel, Post Pals always manages to put a smile on my son’s face, even though he’s 15 and thinks he’s an adult.

Update 17th October 2010

Daniel is due to go to Birmingham next week for a week of intense physio to try and get his leg straight.

I think what Post Pals do is amazing; I know they manage to put a smile on my child’s face so I’m sure they do it to other children as well. To me that it priceless and to all the people who take time out of their lives to write a letter or send a gift – a big THANK YOU to you.

Update 14th August 2010

Daniel is due to have another operation on his leg (2/9/10) at Birmingham Royal Orphopaedic. After this he will hopefully be able to straighten and bend his leg and will be able to walk properly, as since he went on the Ellen McArthur Sailing trip in July his leg has got a lot worse.

Thank you to everyone to has taken the time to send Daniel post as it’s very much appreciated.

Update 5th June 2010

Daniel is still awaiting a date for his operation and is getting very frustrated as he can’t walk properly, but has got a new leg brace for support.

Thank you to everyone who sent post to Daniel last month, it was very much appreciated.

Update 1st May 2010

Daniel has to have another operation on his leg next month to hopefully get it straight enough so he will be able to walk better and unaided. We just have to wait for a graze to heal on his knee from another fall.

Thanks to everybody who has taken the time to send Daniel post this month as he has had lots. Thank you to everyone who has sent Daniel a gift this month, especially the person who sent him a boxful of x-box games but didn’t leave an address, and the person who sent him PSP games and the greyhound rescue in Scotland.

Update 10th April 2010

Daniel is having a lot of trouble with his leg at the minute and is having lots of physio as he is unable to walk properly which is causing him to have problems with his back and spine. We are waiting to see what his consultant says on 12/4/10 as he his getting very tired and feels down a lot.

Thank you for the post that has been sent to Daniel.

Update 6th February 2010

Daniel had a full leg pot/cast put on a few weeks ago and was told on Tuesday that he would have it on for a couple of months. He wasn’t very happy as he thought he would have it off for his birthday, but hopefully it will get his leg straight so he won’t need to go back to Birmingham for another operation.

We would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to go out and buy a card or gift or send a letter to Daniel, it is very much appreciated.

A big thank you to the McQueen Family for the Lego Bionicles that they sent Morgan yesterday. He really loved it and it gave us a couple of hours peace as he made a fort for it with a shoe box and was playing with it for hours. It’s the little things that count.

Update 2nd December 2009

Daniel had a fall on Friday and cannot straighten his leg. Luckily he hasn’t done any damage to it (as the physio thought he may have) but it has put him back to the beginning as he has been losing weight drastically so has got to have special feeds again.

Thank you for he post Daniel received in November.

Update 2nd November 2009

Daniel has had his Broviac line taken out and they are trying to get his dose sorted with his injections, as it keeps knocking his levels low every time he has it and hasn’t managed to get to the normal dose yet. He is also having a lot of physio on his leg to build his muscles back up but is having problems with his hip as the muscle has gone weak. He is also having problems with the ankle on his good leg, as he is starting to walk on the side of his foot, so we are seeing the orthotics people this week.

Thank you for the mail that Daniel has received this month.

Update 4th September 2009

Daniel has just started his injections.

Thank you for cards, letters and gifts that he received last month.

Update 20th August 2009

Daniel has finally finished his chemo and is now waiting to start his injections.

Thank you for the cards, letters and gifts that have been sent to him this month.

Update 18th July 2009

Daniel has had a bad time in hospital with pneumonia and was really ill for a while. Although he has got over the worst of it, he still has infection on his chest and it has really knocked him for six.

Thank you for the cards, letters and gifts Daniel has received this month.

Update 16th June 2009

Daniel spent all of last month in hospital with chemo.

Thank you for the post he has received, we think what Post Pals do is brilliant and it cheers the children up.

Update 4th May 2009

Daniel is still undergoing chemo. He was supposed to be in Birmingham for intense physio but has been sent home because his levels were low.

Thank you to everyone who has sent Daniel a card this month.

Update 7th March 2009

Daniel had is operation in Birmingham and it was a success.

Thank you for all the lovely birthday cards Daniel received this month and for the letter and gifts he received.

Update 11th February 2009

Daniel is going to Birmingham tomorrow to have an operation to give him a new knee and bone.

Thank you to everyone that has sent Daniel a card, letter, or gift this month.

Update 28th November 2008

Daniel goes back into hospital on Monday to start his chemo and he will be in for the next 3 weeks.

Thank you to everyone who sent cards and post to Daniel this month as post brightens up his day.

Update 7th November 2008

Daniel has just come back from Sheffield Children’s Hospital today as he had his line put in. He goes back in on Monday to have a kidney scan and to start his chemo. He will hopefully be home Wednesday or Thursday if everything goes ok.

Update 29th October 2008

We had it confirmed today that Daniel has definitely got Osteosarcoma and that it has spread to his soft tissue and we are now waiting to hear from Sheffield as to when he will start his chemo.

Update 24th October 2008

The doctors are 99.9% sure Daniel has Osteosarcoma, it won’t be confirmed until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week though.