This Morning regular Gyles Brandreth, who is on Blankety Blank tonight (Saturday, April 11), once opened up about his baby grandson’s cancer diagnosis.
The star, 78, spoke of grandson Kitt’s ordeal in a new chat ahead of World Cancer Day back in February.
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This Morning star Gyles Brandreth on grandson’s cancer ordeal
Back in 2017, Gyles’ grandson, Kitt, who was 15 months old at the time, was diagnosed with cancer.
His diagnosis came after his parents, Gyles’ daughter Saethryd, and her husband Mark, found a pea-shaped lump near his stomach.
After initially being told by a GP that the lump was likely a cyst or a hernia, further tests revealed that Kitt actually had rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare, aggressive soft tissue cancer.
Less than 60 children are diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma in the UK each year.
Kitt was treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), where he had chemotherapy, which led to his hair falling out, as well as several blood and platelet transfusions. The youngster also suffered a bacterial infection, which affected his heart and liver.
Gyles’ shock
The news of Kitt’s diagnosis came as a shock to Gyles and the family.
“Kitt’s diagnosis was a shock to the system. We think of cancer as something that happens to unlucky middle-aged people. You think of breast cancer or prostate cancer and older people, but you don’t think of kids – well, we didn’t. I think we didn’t realise what a long journey it was going to be,” he said.
Gyles went on to say that upon learning Kitt would be treated at GOSH, he was “reassured”, thanks to the hospital’s “world-class reputation”.
The star went on to say that the whole experience was very “emotional”. “It’s a case of holding your breath, being patient and trusting in the team, and I have to say the team were matchless at every level, from the consultants right the way through to the nursing staff and everyone else. Everyone is there for you. It’s very moving because you never feel alone,” he said.
Gyles Brandreth reveals how he helped out
Gyles went on to say that while Kitt’s parents focused on caring for him, his role as Grandpa was “providing a sense of normality”.
“What they do brilliantly at Great Ormond Street is remember that children are children, so there was a wonderful playroom. Kitt and I would do jigsaws, build things together – I’d build them up, and he’d help knock them down, and I taught him funny poems,” he then said.
During his treatment, Kitt suffered a condition called veno-occlusive disease. It is a life-threatening condition caused by high doses of chemotherapy, which causes the obstruction of small veins in the liver. It can lead to multiple organ failure.
However, he recovered and was given the all clear in November 2017. Now, 10 years old, Kitt has been in remission for eight years and has yearly checks at GOSH.