Will Carland was the only child to ever live through a type of operation that saved his life. Now, the 18-year-old is walking in the footsteps of those who saved him.
There was a small upside to the diagnosis, Ms Carland said.So began a long journey to recovery, with Ms Carland and baby Will travelling from their Mount Isa home to live in Brisbane for the next year, leaving behind Will's older brother, Henry, and dad Martin.Will with his older brother, Henry, in hospital.
Will's stomach would then be turned over and the tube would be connected to what was left of his oesophagus. However, he faced another 17 years of fortnightly, monthly and then yearly hospital visits, as well as ongoing tests and surgeries. "I first noticed that my life was different to others when I started prep school. But really, you can't feel different when you haven't known anything else. For me, it's just normal," he said.When Will looks back on his childhood, it is filled with golden memories of pizza parties in the hospital with nurses and doctors, and afternoons playing with his dad and brother.