Enniskillen mum opens up about son's cancer diagnosis
Toni Judge was speaking as part of Cash for Kids day 2018
Last updated 1st Jun 2018
The family of a boy diagnosed with cancer aged just two has told us of their shock at hearing the news.
Toni Judge's son Charly was told he had the illness just before his third birthday.
The Enniskillen woman opened up about her heartbreak as part of Cash for Kids day and to mark the charity's 10th birthday.
Toni told us the ordeal was a surreal experience:
"Charly had never been a day sick, never had tonsillitis in his life, it was just this swelling that was at the back of his mouth, that was all that was worrying.
"After a few days of tests, they said then that they were going to take out his tonsils and when they did that then the tumour showed up.
"We had a social worker visit us at the hospital, that's when everything just built up then, I knew then that this was way more serious."
The family spent a lot of time in the Royal Belfast Hospital for sick children.
Cash for Kids provided a grant for nearby home from home facility 'Paul's House.'
The building provides accommodation and a safe space for four families with sick children.
Charly told Downtown Cool FM what Paul's House meant to him while he was sick:
"I got to stay in Paul's House for little girls and boys when they were sick.
"It was really nice having my brother up there and my nanny, I was really, really happy that I had everyone with me.
"It was really nice of them to come."
Meanwhile his mother Toni said she was struggling to accept Charly's illness:
"I couldn't understand why they were putting me in a house for people with cancer, it still didn't click in with me properly that this is what was going on with Charly.
"It was really, really terrifying, I thought I was going to lose him at that point."
Charly went through a number of operations and Toni told us he was extremely brave:
"When I left him he was sleeping and I came back and he was wide awake.
"He just looked at me and he just mouthed mummy and I just says 'that's it he's fine he's ok.'
"It was the best feeling ever, it was just unreal that after all this, my wee boy was just looking up ready for the world again.
"Your baby to go through a series of operations to try and fight like that it was incredible."