Exclusive: British child who has had SIX operations to fight rare cancer is given a lifeline when his family flees the UK and undergoes pioneering treatment at the Costa Blanca

A BRITISH toddler who was battling an aggressive and rare cancer received a new lease on life after his family moved from the UK to Spain in order to access a groundbreaking new treatment.

Matias, a two-year-old boy, is being treated in Valencia by his parents who left London in the year 2024 in search of doctors to help their son.

The Valentin family, originally from Romania moved to Costa Blanca after Matias’ rare kidney tumor was discovered at the age of five months.

The boy has had six major surgeries and over 450 scans since then. Matias is being treated at Valencia’s La Fe University Hospital. Although the family lives in Alicante now, doctors have put him on Afatinib, an experimental drug.

Matias’ mum Lucica said the difference in care compared to the UK was ‘night and day.’

The doctors in London said that the disease was not well-known and they could not help. She told the that doctors were afraid to make mistakes. Olive Press. 

“But here, in Valencia, the doctors and nurses are so good to him.”

“Sometimes, when we are at the hospital, doctors will pop into his room just to say hi or check on him – even if they are busy,” she added.

“I would like the entire world to know my gratitude to them.”

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Over the past 18 months, surgeons have removed five large tumours from Matias’ abdomen and another from his lungs – some of them malignant.

Lucica said Afatinib had done what chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy could not. It has kept the tumours under control.

She said, “In London, they wouldn’t give him Afatinib.” “Here at least, he has a chance.”

Matias had been unwell from birth, Lucica explained –  but no one at Romford Queen’s Hospital in London, where he was born, spotted the tumour. 

By the time doctors in Alicante operated, the tumour had grown to over 21cm –  and Lucica is now considering suing Queen’s Hospital for negligence.

If doctors in London had detected the tumour at birth, it might not have grown as much. She said that the first operation might not have been as difficult for him.

Matias had his latest operation on January 15 – his birthday – but doctors say the fight is far from over.

La Fe specialists are performing advanced tests in order to determine why Matias’ cancer keeps returning. One tumour has been removed and is being examined. Matias’ cancer cells were even implanted into mouse models to find out the answers.

Matias suffers from mesoblastic nephroma – a rare condition, but one that is usually not fatal and is the most common tumour found in newborns.

This case is far from typical.

Lucica said her son had an ultra-rare mutation known as ‘EFGR-KDD mixed’ –  which is not described in medical literature and causes his tumours to return again and again, often in malignant form.

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“That is why they are studying his tumours – and that is why we need access to more experimental treatments,” she said. “Afatinib may not be sufficient.”

Afatinib, one of three drugs, was used in an innovative study conducted in Madrid that successfully eradicated pancreatic carcinoma cells in mice for the first ever time in history.

Lucica said she has been trying to contact the study’s lead scientist, Mariano Barbacid, in the hope of sharing information and getting help – but has so far heard nothing.

She added, “It’d be wonderful if we could exchange information and talk.” “I do not know if the other two drugs could help Matias – but I want my boy to save other lives as well.”

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She added, “And perhaps, if doctors understood his disease, then they could stop other people from dying of it.”

Matias’ nightmare started on June 1, 20,24, when the family was in Alicante.

Lucica recalls. “He was very young so I became worried and brought him to hospital.”

Matias had internal bleeding due to his kidney tumour. Doctors rushed Matias for surgery as soon as they discovered this.

The family was told that he had a better chance of survival at La Fe Hospital, Valencia.

Lucica and her spouse quit their jobs in London, packed their lives up and moved to Spain, along with Matias, his sister Antonia, who is four years old.

Lucica said, “I’m so glad we did it.”

Matias’s parents are now preparing for the next steps and anxiously awaiting test results. They feel like they have arrived at their destination.

Lucica stated, “I am both a mother and a fighter.” “I’d do anything for my son.”

She added, “If you were to see him today, you wouldn’t know what he had been through.” “He is also a fighter.”

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