Talens Army

Talens Army In less than ten months, our beautiful boy Talen has been through more than any child should ever have to face. Now he needs help to continue his battle

Yesterday was the big day — Talen’s CAR-T cells were finally infused. 🤍He is still dealing with some discomfort from muc...
11/08/2026

Yesterday was the big day — Talen’s CAR-T cells were finally infused. 🤍
He is still dealing with some discomfort from mucositis, but overall he is doing okay. Soaking up lots of cuddles
Now we wait, watch closely and hope these cells do exactly what we need them to do. One day at a time. 🤞🏻🤍

Update Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, Talen’s CAR-T cells have been delayed in transit. We are now hopi...
06/08/2026

Update

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, Talen’s CAR-T cells have been delayed in transit. We are now hoping they will arrive on Monday. 🤞🏻

The team has reassured us that this delay should not interfere with his treatment. It simply means Talen will have three rest days instead of the one planned rest day he would have had today without chemotherapy.

At the moment, he is doing okay. His counts have dropped, and he is beginning to struggle with some mucositis and discomfort, but he continues to be the same strong little fighter he has been throughout all of this.

We are disappointed by the delay, but grateful that it is not expected to affect the treatment. For now, we are keeping him comfortable, taking things day by day and praying his cells arrive safely on Monday so we can finally take the next step. 🤍🙏🏻

Today was a very big day for Talen. 🤍He had a PET scan, and we received the news we have been praying for — the scan has...
03/08/2026

Today was a very big day for Talen. 🤍

He had a PET scan, and we received the news we have been praying for — the scan has shown a good response, with significantly less uptake.

We have now started the conditioning chemotherapy to prepare his body for CAR-T therapy, and his cells are scheduled to be infused this Friday.

The photo shows Talen’s scans side by side. From left - right, Today’s scan is on the left, followed by the scan taken after his first polatuzumab treatment when the cancer had begun spreading into his bone marrow, with the earlier scans on the right showing where things were before his bone marrow transplant.

Seeing the difference today has given us so much hope. We know there are still many hurdles ahead and CAR-T comes with its own risks, but reaching this point feels huge after everything Talen has fought through.

Now we focus on getting him through the conditioning chemo and ready to receive his cells on Friday.

He also got to meet some more of the Broncos boys while they were doing the ward rounds 🥹🥹 these guys really have hearts of gold 🤍🤍

One step closer. Please keep praying for our brave boy. 🤍🙏🏻

It’s been a few days since I’ve shared an update. Things have been fairly quiet, and we are just taking everything day b...
27/07/2026

It’s been a few days since I’ve shared an update. Things have been fairly quiet, and we are just taking everything day by day, blood test by blood test, while we wait for Talen’s CAR-T cells to come back. At the moment, they are estimated to be ready around the 10th of August.

Talen is becoming more and more like himself again, with his cheeky eye rolls at the nurses and plenty of sassy backchat. Seeing his personality shine through again is honestly the best feeling.

It’s amazing to look back and see how far we have already come in a month. Yes, we have already been in hospital for a month again, which feels crazy considering we were only home for six days after our last admission.

I feel like I am constantly holding my breath—praying for another good day and waiting anxiously for good blood results each morning. Living from one blood test to the next is mentally exhausting, but we are trying to stay focused on the progress he is making.

His pain has eased, and thankfully there is currently no swelling. For now, we are holding onto these positives and continuing to take each day as it comes. 🤍🙏🏻

A little update on Talen 🤍Talen has been doing a little better, and thankfully his pain hasn’t been much of an issue at ...
23/07/2026

A little update on Talen 🤍

Talen has been doing a little better, and thankfully his pain hasn’t been much of an issue at the moment.

He handled the chemotherapy well, with mainly the usual nausea, and he is currently receiving TPN to help support his body and give him the nutrition he needs.

Today, Talen received his second dose of polatuzumab. The infusion itself went well, but around ten minutes afterward, he developed a high temperature and a very fast heart rate. The team believes it may have been a mild post-infusion reaction and is monitoring him closely.

Despite everything his body continues to go through, Talen keeps showing us how incredibly strong he is. We are still taking things day by day and holding onto every positive moment. 🤍🙏🏻

Nobody talks about what it feels like to sit in a hospital room and be told there may not be much hope left for your chi...
21/07/2026

Nobody talks about what it feels like to sit in a hospital room and be told there may not be much hope left for your child, while every part of you is screaming that he is still here and still fighting.

I listen to the doctors. I hear the risks, the statistics and the reasons they believe the odds are against him.

But then I look at Talen.

I see his strength.
I see his determination.
I see the little boy who has overcome hurdle after hurdle and continues to surprise everyone.

And I know I cannot stop fighting for him.

Cancer has forced me to learn a language I never wanted to speak.

Blood counts. Bone marrow. LDH. T cells. Chemotherapy. Immunotherapy. CAR-T.

I never asked to become an expert in any of this, but I will learn everything I need to learn if it gives Talen even the smallest chance.

I will ask the questions.

I will request the meetings.

I will search for other options and second opinions.

I will push back when something does not feel right, even when my voice shakes and I am terrified of being seen as difficult.

Because I know my child.

I notice the smallest changes in his breathing, his pain, his swelling and his behaviour. I know when something is wrong before I can always explain why.

I am not ignoring reality.

I know how serious this is. I know the treatment may not work. I know there are no guarantees.

But as long as Talen is still fighting, I will fight beside him.

I will not stop because the odds are small.

I will not stop because the road is difficult.

I will not stop because someone tells me there may be no hope.

Talen is still here. There is still a path in front of us, and I will keep pushing for every treatment, every opportunity and every possible chance.

I am his mum.

I am his voice.

And I will never stop fighting for my little boy. 🤍🙏🏻

Talen continues to amaze me with just how brave and incredible he is, despite everything he is being forced to face. 🤍To...
21/07/2026

Talen continues to amaze me with just how brave and incredible he is, despite everything he is being forced to face. 🤍

Today, his cannula had to be removed. When it was put in, it took two attempts by two different people, and he handled it like an absolute champion. But when it came time to take it out, Talen wanted to do it himself. He wanted to feel in control of something happening to his own body.

So we let him.

With no help, he carefully removed it all by himself. It may seem like a small thing, but after having so much control taken away from him, watching him take charge of that moment made me incredibly proud.

We also managed to get him out of bed for a sponge bath and a freshen-up, which was another big achievement after everything his little body has been through.

Tonight, Talen will begin two chemotherapy drugs that are more commonly used for adult B-cell lymphomas. His numbers have started climbing again, so the hope is that these drugs can keep the cancer at bay. On Thursday, he will receive another round of his “Polly” drug, polatuzumab.

Right now, everything is about buying time—keeping the cancer under control while we wait and pray for his T cells to recover so they can be collected.

No matter what is thrown at him, Talen continues to show us how strong, determined and unbelievably brave he is. He truly amazes me every single day. 🤍🙏🏻

Talen’s T cells have officially been harvested! 🤍Today marks another huge step forward in Talen’s CAR-T journey.A courie...
20/07/2026

Talen’s T cells have officially been harvested! 🤍

Today marks another huge step forward in Talen’s CAR-T journey.

A courier from the manufacturing company flew in this afternoon, arriving at 4:30 to collect Talen’s harvested T cells. They are now heading straight back to the airport and onto a flight to America, where the cells will be specially engineered into CAR-T cells for Talen.

It is incredible to think that this precious package is now on its way overseas to begin the next stage of the process.

There are still many steps ahead, but today is a major milestone—and another reason for us to hold onto hope.

We are so grateful to everyone who has supported Talen, shared his story and stood beside our family through this journey. 🤍🙏🏻

An incredible update for Talen 🤍We have received some truly extraordinary news.We had been urgently trying to raise $500...
20/07/2026

An incredible update for Talen 🤍

We have received some truly extraordinary news.

We had been urgently trying to raise $500,000 for Talen’s CAR-T treatment. Because of how quickly he needs this therapy—and how long the manufacturing process takes—we were facing an almost impossible race against time.

Through the incredible determination of Talen’s doctor, together with the support of an overseas medical contact, an agreement has now been secured with the company responsible for manufacturing the CAR-T cells.

Given the urgency of Talen’s condition, the company has agreed to move forward with his treatment through a special compassionate arrangement.

There are currently no paediatric trials available for Talen’s specific situation, which makes this opportunity even more remarkable. We have been told that this may be the first treatment of its kind here in Australia.

Because of this extraordinary development, we can confirm that the funding required for Talen’s CAR-T treatment has now been secured, and no further donations are needed for his treatment.

We will never be able to fully express how grateful we are to every person who donated, shared Talen’s story, prayed for him and stood beside our family. Every donation and every share helped carry us through an incredibly frightening and uncertain time.

We also want to be completely honest that there is no guarantee the treatment will work. Talen is incredibly fragile, his cancer is extremely aggressive, and there are still many hurdles to overcome before he can receive the CAR-T cells.

But this agreement has given Talen a chance—and right now, a chance means everything to us.

We are incredibly fortunate to have such a determined medical team advocating for our boy. Without the extraordinary efforts of Talen’s doctor and the overseas contact who helped make this agreement possible, we may never have reached this point.

Australia has an incredible medical system, but children facing rare and complex cancers do not always have access to the same trials and treatment options available overseas.

We hope Talen’s story brings greater awareness to paediatric cancer, the urgent need for more funding and research, and the lack of treatment options available to many Australian children.

Most of all, we hope this agreement helps open the door to lifesaving treatments for other children and families in the future.

Thank you for continuing to stand beside our beautiful boy. 🤍🙏🏻

19/07/2026

I can't wait to see you being your cheeky self again 🥹😢❤️‍🩹

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