Navigating Relapse Treatment: Liam’s Story

When Liam Brown was just a toddler, his parents thought he was catching every daycare virus. He’d come home with one illness after another, just like so many kids his age. But then, things changed.

“He started holding his right side and whining, not wanting to get out of bed all day,” remembers his mother, Amanda Brown. “We went to pick him up and could feel something hard and huge on his right side. We took him to the ER locally—honestly, I thought maybe he fell at daycare and broke his ribs or something, and they didn’t tell us. But no, it was much worse.”

An X-ray revealed a mass. Their world spun out of control.

“We were transferred to oncology for so many tests and procedures, and he had surgery to place a port. They acted very fast, as they said this is a very aggressive cancer—and it is. It took about a week for an official diagnosis. I remember researching all the cancers that it could be. I remember thinking to myself, as long as it is not neuroblastoma, we will be okay. Then we got the diagnosis—high-risk, stage M, MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma. This is one of the worst cancers he could possibly get. I was crushed.”

Fighting Through Relapse

Liam has endured more than most adults could fathom: intense chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, immunotherapy. But after all of it, the unthinkable happened—he relapsed.

“There were so many times during treatment that we thought we would lose Liam,” Amanda shares. “Relapse is terrifying because you know the statistics. You know the treatment options are fewer.”

In high-risk neuroblastoma, relapse is devastating—not only because it means the cancer has returned, but because the survival rate at this point is less than 10%. Families must make difficult decisions about clinical trials, new therapies, and the toll each option will take.

For Liam, treatment has come at a cost beyond the cancer itself. He now faces harsh side effects from his treatments: chronic kidney disease and severe hearing loss are lifelong complications from the very drugs that were meant to save him.

“I’d like to share that kids deserve better,” Amanda says. “We have to bring our babies to the brink of death just for them to hopefully live. And in Liam’s case, to live with lifelong complications from treatments.”

The Mental Toll: "One Day at a Time"

Through the darkest moments, Amanda holds on to one mantra:

"One day at a time."

“They told us this during diagnosis—‘This is a marathon, not a sprint.’ You have to take it one moment at a time and try not to get ahead of yourself. If you do, you will be exhausted by all the ‘what if’s’ and ‘could happen’s.’”

For parents facing a relapse diagnosis, the emotional weight is crushing. The constant anxiety, the fear of not knowing what’s next—it can be isolating.

“I guess the biggest support would be having someone to talk to and share the hard stuff with. We didn’t have anyone that wanted the ‘hard details.’ Me and my husband just had each other,” Amanda explains.

Her advice for other families? Accept help. And if you’re a friend or loved one, be there for the hard stuff.

How You Can Help

Liam’s fight isn’t over. No family should have to go through this alone.

• Support Research – Funding for neuroblastoma research is critical to developing less toxic treatments and better survival outcomes for kids like Liam.

• Be There for Families – Whether it's offering to help with errands, providing emotional support, or just listening, small gestures can make a huge difference.

• Spread Awareness – High-risk neuroblastoma relapse is a life-threatening battle that needs more attention. The more we talk about it, the closer we get to change.

Amanda’s words carry the weight of experience, of a mother fighting for her child’s life while hoping for a future where no family has to endure this.

Join us in advocating for better treatments and better outcomes for children like Liam.