LIKE HIS DAD, Tom Wilson is a fighter.

The son of 1995, 1996 and 2004 Port Adelaide premiership player Michael has, however, had to face battles of a different kind.

Tom was last year taken to hospital after it was discovered he had a rare craniopharygioma - or brain tumou.

While the tumour was benign, it had caused him to stop growing in the same way as his twin brother.

But last week, nine months post-op, Tom's incredible battle was revealed when he finished the 3km Victor Harbor triathlon.

A tweet from his proud dad shed light on Tom's battle for the first time.

 

As a result of the tumour, Tom’s pituitary – a tiny pea-sized gland inside the brain - no longer exists.

That gland would normally produce hormones that regulate growth and development.

Tom must take daily medication to compensate for the loss of his hormone production and makes regular visits to the Women’s and Children Hospital for check-ups.

But in true Wilson – and Port Adelaide spirit – Tom is getting on with life, and is progressing well.

“He’s doing really well now, we’re getting closer to getting the medication balance right, but that needs to change as he grows, so we have regular visits to endocrinology and the neuro teams at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital,” Michael Wilson said.

“He’s back at school, participating in lots of different sports, catching up with his work and getting a lot of support from the school.

“He’s had to learn to walk again and was getting blind from the tumour, but his vision is back, but he’ll always have the ongoing complications that come from not being able to produce his own hormones.

“We’re just looking forward to that 12-month post-surgery milestone where we’re hoping to see no regrowth in the tumour.”

Tom's next mission

Having recovered from his surgery, Tom has set his sights on reaching a new milestone - helping the kids who still have big battles on their hands at the Women's and Children's Hospital.

He’s had plenty of help from doctors and clinicians on King William Road, but wants to help other children get the best quality of care available, so he's hoping to raise money towards supporting the important work of the Women's and Children's.

It’s his way of trying to say thanks to those who helped him - and all he hopes is that he can inspire people to chip in a couple of bucks towards his cause.

“Mum and Dad have helped me get some MRIs, my injections and some blood tests, Mum has been helping me with what I eat, and also getting me my tablets, the same with Dad,” Tom said.

“They’ve been taking me to appointments, to swimming and sports.

“[But] other kids deserve to be looked after well, and get helped a lot, like I did at hospital.

“That’s why I want to try and help them out as well so hopefully I can get lots of people to give one or two dollars, that would really help the other kids out." 

Having completed the Victor Harbor Triathlon, Tom is now excited about the chance to return to playing football this year – where he hopes to spend time in the Mount Lofty midfield.

“The triathlon was challenging and tiring, and I’m now doing swimming, karate and football,” Tom said.

“I like seeing my friends at the games and running around, I really enjoy it.”

You can donate to Tom Wilson’s fundraising campaign for the Women’s and Children’s Hospital at http://teamkids.com.au/tomwilson

 


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