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A 21-month-old child beats stage 4 cancer — she's been fighting it since she was 4 months old

She was diagnosed with neuroblastoma—a rare kind of cancer with a fatality rate of about 50%—when she was a little over four months old.

BY VANI KHOKAR

PUBLISHED JAN 1, 2025

Images showing the child who survived cancer after fighting it at a young age (Image Source: Facebook/Chelsea Hughes)

21-month-old Molly Hughes is celebrating after winning over stage 4 cancer. She had a really rough start in life. Shortly after her birth, it was revealed that she had neuroblastoma, reports Twenty Two Words. The child from Bowling Green, Kentucky has been in hospital more than she has ever been at her own home.

According to Mayo Clinic, "Neuroblastoma is a cancer that develops from immature nerve cells found in several areas of the body. Neuroblastoma most commonly affects children age 5 or younger, though it may rarely occur in older children."

Doctors diagnosed her with this unusual kind of cancer when she was a little over four months old. Unfortunately, Molly's cancer quickly progressed to stage 4, necessitating numerous rounds of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Molly was immediately brought to the hospital after the diagnosis, where she remained for fifteen months getting cancer treatment. Her mother Chelsea Hughes spoke to Goodfullness, "She would just bounce back after every treatment. I mean she would knock her down for few days and then she would be at playing again." To support Molly fight this dreadful cancer, her family and friends created a hashtag, '#MollyStrong'.

Molly miraculously survived stage 4 cancer after months and months of therapy. The doctors declared her cancer-free and the family was beyond overjoyed. Her mother said, "Just like, I fell to the ground after I got off the phone and I just hugged her for like five minutes.” She said that the prayers of her family and everybody on social media helped the child beat this deadly condition. She added, "I believe that’s what helped her get through all this. With all the prayers she’s heard and which I can’t thank everyone enough for.”

The fatality rate of this type of cancer is incredibly high. According to Cancer.Net, the 5-year survival rate for children with high-risk neuroblastoma is roughly 50%. Abdominal soreness and pain, constipation, weakness, irritability, fevers, and anemia or bruising from low blood counts are all possible symptoms of this type of cancer.

However, little Molly Hughes has successfully conquered this condition. Her mother recently shared a post on Facebook marking 4 years since Molly's Diagnosis. She wrote, "Every time I thought we were out of hope or when we lost our strength, I would remember what God told me on that first night. He gave us the strength to help our baby girl fight." She added praising the strength of her child, "Molly is a feisty, sassy, strong girl & such an inspiration to us all. Our girl is a fighter through & through!"