Tanya Preston was on a family holiday when she first noticed something was wrong with her son, Alex.
The usually 'cheeky' and 'energetic' six-year-old, who loved sports, was not himself as the family toured wineries in Bright, Vic, and spotted penguins on Phillip Island in May 2008. He was struggling to keep up with his sister Bella, eight, and younger brother, Jack, five.
"He'd have moments where he'd run around and kick the footie, but then he'd have to sit down and relax, which wasn't like him," Tanya, who was then 38, tells Mamamia. "He was quiet and would get cross with his brother and sister, because he had a headache."
Watch: A video of Alex's memories shared by his family. Post continues after video.
After one particular car journey, Alex began complaining of a sore stomach.
Tanya and her husband David, then 37, wondered if their son was coming down with the flu, but when they got home and Alex returned to school, things got worse.
"From then on, there was a two-week period where he'd go to school, the principal would ring me and say Alex is lying down with a sore tummy, you'll have to come and get him, and that happened a few times," Tanya says.
Top Comments