Archie was diagnosed with a tumour in his abdomen (known as neuroblastoma) in March 2012 and went through chemotherapy, mega therapy and radiation.
His oncologist declared he had ‘no evidence of disease’ on his mother’s birthday in July.
‘I organised the appointment for that day because if it was bad news then it wouldn’t matter, but if it was good news then it would be the best birthday present of my life,’ Mrs Caldow said.
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READ NOW‘He just started kindergarten and he doesn’t want to sit indoors learning to write his name, he wants to be outside running and playing and building things.
‘The other day I said to him: ‘Can you remember when you were sick or are you just too busy having fun now?’ and he goes: ‘Yeah Mum, I’m just too busy having fun now’.’
The Floreat mum of four said she and her husband Richard had spent the past few months ‘working on a new kind of normal’.
‘We’re doing the same things: going to the shops, dropping the kids off at school; all the things we used take for granted,’ Mrs Caldow said.
‘When he’s running around, I’m remembering when he couldn’t walk.
‘Or when he’s laughing I think back to when he didn’t speak for a couple of days. You can’t live this and then just walk away from it.’
Archie has a check-up every three months to scan for traces of the cancer that once threatened his young life.
‘It’s always in the back of my mind that there’s such a high chance of relapse,’ she said.
‘About three of Archie’s friends from hospital have relapsed, so every joy isn’t without acknowledging the pain. This is why fundraising is so important. ‘