Doctor Dismissed ‘Knot’ Near Toddler’s Ribs as Constipation. Then He Was Diagnosed with Stage 3 Cancer (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• In early 2023, Hailey Robb and her family discovered a small lump on their 2-year-old son, Carter, leading to a series of medical visits and a life-changing diagnosis

• What initially seemed minor quickly escalated into a challenging cancer journey

• Now in remission, Carter’s story stands as a powerful reminder of resilience and early detection

In March 2023, Hailey Robb was eight months pregnant with her third child when she and her husband, Austin Robb, both noticed a small “knot” near their 2-year-old son’s left ribs.

“My husband noticed it while tickling him. I noticed it while giving him a bath,” the 27-year-old tells PEOPLE exclusively. “We must’ve both noticed it around the same time and it came up in conversation soon after I noticed it.”

Hailey, usually the more anxious one, was struck when her typically calm husband brought it up first. A few days later, her mother, a nurse who rarely worries, also noticed the lump while playing with Carter and encouraged them to see a doctor.

Aside from the bump, Carter seemed perfectly fine – he and his older sister had recently recovered from a respiratory virus, and the slight weight loss likely made the lump easier to notice.

“Neither of us wanted to think it could be something serious, but we both had that gut feeling that we needed to get it checked out,” Hailey says.

Around the same time, the pediatrician who usually treated Hailey’s children retired, so Carter was seen by another doctor who showed very little concern for the lump.

“They didn’t really know what was going on, but they did feel the knot,” Hailey recalls. “The doctor mentioned bloating and possible constipation, so they ordered an X-ray.”

After reviewing the scan, the doctor told the couple it appeared “normal” and showed nothing unusual.

However, when Hailey asked follow-up questions, the pediatrician couldn’t provide a clear explanation, suggesting it could be constipation, even though nothing indicated that on the X-ray.

“The doctor said that we’d just plan on checking up on it at his next visit, which was around a month away,” adding that if the couple noticed blood in Carter’s stool, high fevers or vomiting, they should call immediately or go to the emergency room.

“That didn’t sit right with me,” Hailey says. “I remember thinking, ‘So we’re supposed to wait until something is emergent before finding out what this knot is?’ I wasn’t about to wait another month to find out what was going on.”

Unhappy with the inconclusive results they received, the couple decided to take matters into their own hands and took Carter to the ER the following day.

“We believe it was 100% our parent intuition and discernment from God that something needed to be done soon,” she shares.

While Hailey’s husband had to work, a friend watched their daughter, and Hailey’s mother joined her in taking Carter to the ER.

Two trusted voices helped guide their decision: a close family friend who’s a physician assistant and their former pediatrician, who, though retired, remained a supportive presence.

“Both of them suggested taking him to Monroe Carell Jr. Hospital, which is about an hour from us in Nashville,” Hailey reveals.

“I’m not going to lie, the thought of it being cancer did cross my mind for a moment, but I brushed that off,” she adds. “I was trying to make myself believe it was possibly a cyst or maybe something else that could be easily treated.”

At the ER, they ran bloodwork and ordered both a Computed Tomography (CT) scan and an ultrasound. When the doctor returned with results, he looked “troubled” but tried his best to stay collected.

“He offered me to sit down, and I knew in my spirit what he was about to tell me, although it didn’t seem real – ‘Your child has cancer.’”

Hailey broke down immediately, flooded with sadness for Carter and the difficult journey that lay ahead for their family.

“I didn’t really think that my child could have cancer,” she tells PEOPLE. “No parent ever wants to think that might happen to their baby.”

Once Austin made it safely to the hospital, he and Hailey were rushed to meet who would become Carter’s primary oncologist and specialist – both of whom she says “took wonderful care of Carter” and “helped us advocate when we needed to.”

Initially, it was believed Carter had a stage 1 or 2 Wilms tumor, also known as nephroblastoma, the most common and treatable kidney cancer.

Doctors said he might avoid chemotherapy or only need outpatient treatment, though there was a slight chance it could be another type of cancer.

Surgery to remove the tumor and kidney was planned for early April, but a last-minute cancellation allowed it to be moved up to March 30.

“We believe this was God’s work, because it turns out it was much more serious than we thought,” Hailey says.

Although Carter’s surgery was successful, they ended up having to remove part of his adrenal gland as well. The 2-year-old’s tumor was 9 cm in diameter – larger than his kidney itself.

During Hailey’s 34-week prenatal appointment, the oncologist revealed that Carter did not have a Wilms’ tumor, like they had initially thought. Instead, he was diagnosed with a much more serious cancer called clear cell sarcoma (CCS) of the kidney.

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They learned the cancer had spread to one of Carter’s lymph nodes, upgrading it to stage 3. He required six radiation treatments, nine rounds of inpatient chemotherapy – including the harsh drug doxorubicin, known as the “red devil.”

“Those months were tough. Carter was so strong and resilient, but there were many scary days and nights,” Hailey reveals.

“He needed a blood transfusion after every chemo. He ended up getting an infection in his port once and was confined to his hospital room for days.”

Nevertheless, Carter made it through his final chemotherapy in October 2023, exhausted but surrounded by quiet celebration.

Follow-up scans confirmed he was cancer-free and in remission by Nov. 7, 2023. In December, he had his port removed – a moment filled with both relief and fear.

“Carter was still not as healthy as a ‘normal’ child after receiving months of chemotherapy,” Hailey admits. “He ended up having bronchial spasms at the beginning of his port removal and required chest compressions because his [oxygen] fell.”

After an overnight stay in the hospital, Carter made it out without any major complications. “Seeing him hold that little cup with his port felt like victory,” Hailey recalls.

“All I could do was thank God for being with us. Thank God for being with his doctors and medical team. Thank God for every person who helped us along the way.”

Hailey and Austin welcomed their fourth child in January 2025, just one month after celebrating Carter’s one-year remission anniversary.

“My husband and I leaned on God and each other for support. The hardest time in our lives brought us closer,” Hailey emphasizes. “We also had so much support from our parents, our friends and our community.”

Despite Carter turning 4 and celebrating his second year cancer-free, Hailey has only recently been able to open up about her son’s journey online.

“I want to bring awareness for so many reasons, one being that I want parents to know how important it is to advocate for your children. Doctors are people too, and they aren’t perfect,” she tells PEOPLE.

“Sometimes things get missed, but if you believe your baby needs something checked out, keep advocating for answers. You could save their life.”

Today, Hailey says her son is doing “fantastic,” and although his journey will likely leave a mark in ways they may never fully understand, Carter is thriving and running around like any joyful, carefree preschooler should.

Read the original article on People