I was told my son was constipated, then came every parent’s worst nightmare
A Georgia mom was told her son was just constipated, until a devastating diagnosis thrust her into every parent’s worst nightmare.
Jordan Box, 23, told Newsweek that Liam’s symptoms began in late May, early June, starting with persistent constipation that refused to resolve.
Box and her husband, 25-year-old Brandon, worked closely with their pediatrician, eliminating dairy in case of an intolerance and monitoring Liam’s condition carefully.
At first, there were no red flags, and then a rash appeared intermittently. Soon after, the couple felt a mass beneath Liam’s left rib cage.
“We took him to his pediatrician, who recommended scheduling a CT scan and an ultrasound at Children’s,” Jordan said. “Later that same day, we decided to take him to the ER at Children’s because we didn’t feel comfortable waiting for an appointment.”
On July 21, 2025 Liam was admitted after developing dangerously high blood pressure. Within hours, doctors strongly suspected neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer most often found in infants and young children.
A biopsy performed three days later confirmed the diagnosis: Stage IV intermediate-risk neuroblastoma, including a 12-centimeter [4.7-inch] tumor beneath his left rib cage and a cancerous lymph node.
“Our whole world felt like it fell apart,” Jordan said. “It was as if the rest of the world kept moving, while ours suddenly stopped. The cancer world is one I never thought we would have to live in, yet here we are trying to breathe, understand [and] be strong in a reality that feels so unfair and so unreal.”
In the days that followed, Liam’s blood pressure proved extremely difficult to control, even with multiple medications.
His condition deteriorated to the point that he was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), where he suffered several severe reactions to treatments, including chemotherapy. One reaction was so serious that Liam was placed on a ventilator for just over 24 hours.
After nearly two months, doctors were finally able to stabilize his blood pressure. Today, Liam takes daily medication and continues to experience surges of catecholamines released by the tumor—episodes that can cause extreme hyperactivity, heart rate beats per minute climbing into the 150s, and sudden spikes in blood pressure.
Since his diagnosis, Liam has undergone eight rounds of chemotherapy with doxorubicin and carboplatin. His tumor remains wrapped around vital structures, including his kidney and aorta.
“We’re taking things one step at a time and staying hopeful as we move forward with this next phase of treatment,” Jordan said.
Surgery was initially planned, but doctors determined it was too dangerous at this stage. The next step is another two months of chemotherapy—five-day treatments every 21 days using cyclophosphamide and topotecan—after which his medical team will reassess whether surgery is possible. His affected kidney is currently functioning at about 21 percent.
Jordan shared the story on TikTok (@jordan.elizb) to urge other parents not to dismiss their instincts.
“If you feel something is off, don’t wait,” she said. “Push for answers. Ask for tests. It’s OK to be ‘extra’ when it comes to your child’s health. You know your child better than anyone, and early checks can make a world of difference. You are not overreacting you are advocating.”
