When Caroline Ronsseray first noticed her three-year-old son, Gaspard, struggling with something as simple as using the toilet, she didn’t panic.

Toddlers regress. Accidents happen. Phases come and go.

That’s what everyone told her.

But deep down, something didn’t sit right.

There was a hesitation in Gaspard’s movements. A discomfort that lingered longer than it should. A look in his eyes that made Caroline pause and think, this isn’t just a phase.

At first, she tried to silence the worry. Doctors reassured her. Friends brushed it off. Life continued.

Yet her instincts refused to let go.

Subtle Signs, Growing Fear

Over the following weeks, the signs multiplied.

Gaspard complained of pain in his legs. He tired easily. His appetite faded. And then there was his stomach—slightly swollen, firm in a way that no child’s belly should be.

Caroline’s unease turned into urgency.

They returned to the hospital, insisting on further tests. Imaging scans revealed the truth in an instant—a truth that shattered their sense of normalcy.

A 12-centimeter tumor was pressing against Gaspard’s prostate and bladder.

The diagnosis followed swiftly: stage three rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive soft-tissue cancer.

In that moment, the world tilted.

Gaspard was barely old enough to understand what illness meant, yet his body was facing a life-threatening enemy. Caroline felt the weight of every what-if crash down at once.

A Battle No Child Should Face

The path ahead was laid out in clinical terms—chemotherapy, proton therapy, endless scans, invasive treatments.

But no medical explanation could soften the reality: their child would suffer.

And yet, as Caroline looked into Gaspard’s bright blue eyes, she saw something unexpected.

Not fear.

Trust.

Over the next six months, Gaspard endured nine cycles of chemotherapy. His body grew thinner. His hair fell out. Nausea became routine. Hospital rooms replaced playgrounds.

Still, he smiled.

“He never complained,” Caroline recalls. “Even when it hurt, he just… kept going.”

Then came proton beam therapy in Florida—three intense months of highly targeted radiation designed to shrink the tumor while protecting surrounding organs.

Each session tested the limits of a body so small. Each day demanded strength no toddler should ever need.

And still, Gaspard persevered.

Small Victories, Hard-Won Hope

By July 2019, the results brought cautious relief.

The tumor had shrunk significantly.

Strength returned in fragments—kicking a ball, laughing in the sun, moments of childhood peeking through the medical fog.

But the fight wasn’t over.

Gaspard entered a year-long maintenance chemotherapy regimen, a phase marked by vigilance, patience, and constant monitoring. Every fever mattered. Every scan carried weight.

Throughout it all, Caroline remained unwavering.

When concerns were dismissed, she pushed. When answers were vague, she asked again. When instincts whispered, she listened.

“That persistence saved my son’s life,” she says without hesitation.

Doctors, nurses, and specialists became part of the family. Together, they celebrated small victories—a clear scan, a burst of energy, a good day without pain.

Life After Survival

By the end of that long year, the words every parent longs to hear finally came.

The cancer had responded.

Gaspard had survived.

Today, Gaspard is ten years old and cancer-free.

He runs, plays, learns, laughs—fully immersed in a childhood that once hung by a thread. He remembers little of the pain, but the resilience remains etched into who he is.

Ordinary moments now feel extraordinary.

A school project. A birthday party. A soccer game.

Each one is a quiet celebration of life reclaimed.

Turning Pain Into Purpose

Caroline’s journey didn’t end with remission.

The family became advocates for pediatric cancer research, supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital and participating in RBC Race for the Kids 2025—funding the very innovations that helped save their son.

“The Children’s Cancer Centre changed everything for us,” Caroline explains. “It wasn’t just treatment. It was guidance, compassion, and hope.”

Gaspard’s story now travels far beyond their home, shared among parents, caregivers, and medical professionals as a powerful reminder of one critical truth:

Listen to parents.

Too often, early warning signs are dismissed as minor or developmental. In Gaspard’s case, ignoring a mother’s intuition could have been fatal.

A Message That Matters

Stage three rhabdomyosarcoma is rare. Aggressive. Unforgiving.

But Gaspard’s survival proves what early detection, expert care, and relentless advocacy can achieve.

Caroline speaks often to other parents, urging them not to doubt themselves.

“You know your child,” she says. “If something feels wrong, don’t stop asking questions. Your voice can save a life.”

Today, Gaspard’s laughter fills spaces once occupied by fear. His joy stands as a testament to every sleepless night, every tear, and every moment his family refused to give up.

From a subtle bathroom struggle to a life-threatening diagnosis, from fear to hope, from survival to thriving—Gaspard’s journey is a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the strength hidden within it.

It is a story of a mother who trusted her instincts.

A child who faced the unimaginable with courage.

And a family who turned vigilance into victory.

Because sometimes, noticing the smallest sign can make all the difference.