Crawley toddler's stubbed toe leads to rare cancer diagnosis
Two-year-old Zak was diagnosed with leukaemia after an injury on his toe didn't heal
The parents of a Crawley toddler who's stubbed toe led to discovering his cancer have described it as a "blessing in disguise."
Amina Haq was initially told that her two year old - Zak's - toe was either "broken" or "infected" after he hit it against a washing machine and it wouldn't heal.
But after pushing for further tests at three hospitals, a blood test revealed he had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a moment Amina described as a "complete shock":
"The overwhelming and dread that you feel is incomprehensible.
"You just have to pick yourself up and go with whatever they're telling you."
She estimates it could have been another year before the cancer was discovered if it wasn't for his injury, adding that he seemed "normal" apart from being upset about his toe.
"Trust your instincts"
Since, Zak has undergone an intensive programme of chemo and steroids treatment, with his parents also having to administer other drugs at home.
Amina is now urging other parents to trust their instincts when it comes to their child's health.
She continued:
"You know your child, you know how they behave, you know their characteristics, you know their likes and dislikes, you know how they react in certain situations.
"If something is telling you something's not right, go by that instinct and as early as possible.
"The quicker they can diagnose, the quicker they can start the treatment."