Eli Northey will be six months old next week, yet he's already been through far more than a little boy should have to bear.
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His birth, says mother Jenny, was "catastrophic" as he struggled to breathe and needed to be resuscitated due to a rare condition called laryngomalacia, which affects the larynx.
By six weeks old, the little Horsley boy had undergone two major operations - a supraglottoplasty and a tracheostomy - due to the condition.
But it was during the last operation, that surgeons discovered a tumour in Eli's neck - and Jenny and husband Peter were soon given the devastating news that he had an acute neuroblastoma.
He's since suffered through two rounds of chemotherapy for the rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer, and his parents are anxiously awaiting his next scans.
"The scans in March will let us know where we go from here," Mrs Northey said.
"Because the tumour is located right on his carotid artery, there's a high risk of death during surgery to remove it.
"But if the scans show the tumour has started to grow again they might have to risk the surgery, or give him more chemotherapy."
The cancer treatment really knocked Eli around, so Mrs Northey is hopeful there's no change in the size of the tumour - and that surgery can wait until he's bigger.
"He was very unwell, very upset and he cried a lot undergoing chemo," she said.
"He needed a lot of cuddles but he coped with it, better than we did really.
"Despite all he's been through he's always had a really good attitude - he's so social, lively and happy. He's just a joy."
Eli's condition has been tough too for his three siblings - Luke, Liam and Ava. And it comes after the family nearly lost little Ava, after she was hospitalised due to Guillain-Barre syndrome just months before Eli's birth.
"Ava's doing okay now, and Eli's out of hospital and home with us after a lot of time in Sydney Children's Hospital," Mrs Northey said.
However the regular trips to Sydney and treatment have placed financial strain on the family. This week they were very thankful to receive $6000 worth of food and fuel vouchers from the Illawarra Community Foundation from funds raised during Convoy.
"This is a big help for us," Mrs Northey said. "We are extremely grateful."
Sergeant Northey said his work had also been very understanding, and thanked Lake Illawarra Police Commander, Superintendent Dean Smith for his support during the past six months.
Convoy and Illawarra Community Foundation manager Mark Rigby added: "Eli is a beautiful young boy, who is unfortunately battling cancer at such a young age.
"We are proud to support Eli and his family during his treatment, thanks to the generosity of the Illawarra who rally behind Convoy every year raising much needed funds to help families just like the Northey's."
Funding information for individuals and families affected by potentially life-threatening medical conditions is available on the www.illawarraconvoy.com.au website.
