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A baby was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after doctors initially brushed off his symptoms as a common cold. Little Otto Acreman, aged just one , began experiencing breathing difficulties and weight gain issues in early 2025. His parents, Sophie Reddaway, 25, and Paul Acreman, 27, took him to the GP for a check-up . Despite several visits, doctors reassured them that their little one likely just had a cold . However, when Otto developed a lump on his neck - noticed by his aunt Charlotte, 21, at a family barbecue when he was 10 months old - medical professionals suspected something more serious. Following an ultrasound scan, biopsies, blood tests, and CT scans, Otto was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma - a nerve cancer which affects children - in August 2025. Since then, brave Otto has undergone four rounds of chemotherapy and a blood transfusion. He is currently undergoing scans to assess his body's response, with his family anxiously waiting to hear if he will need further treatment. His dad Paul, a landscape gardener and tree surgeon from Okehampton, Devon , said: "Probably after about four months, we noticed there was something wrong. "He just had heavy, congested breathing and he was wheezing. It carried on and we took him into the GP four or five times and A&E about it to try and get it sorted out but they just kept saying it was a cold and it would get better on its own. They said it was normal for a baby his age." Sophie, who previously worked as a care support worker before her son fell ill, revealed that she had suspicions about his condition from the early stages. "I said 'personally, I don't think he is congested', then they asked if I was a first-time mum," she shared. It wasn't until Sophie's younger sister, Charlotte, noticed a lump on Otto's neck during a family barbecue in July 2025 that medical professionals began to suspect something more serious might be going on. Following this discovery, Otto was swiftly taken to A&E at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital where he underwent an ultrasound scan. Just as they were preparing to leave the hospital, doctors called them back, revealing that the scan had 'come back abnormal'. "It was quite scary," Sophie admitted. "The first thing I did was panic." A series of biopsies, blood tests, bone marrow checks and CT scans followed at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. During this period, Otto also had to rely on a feeding tube and had a line inserted into his heart. In August, the family received the heartbreaking news that Otto had stage four neuroblastoma. Paul confessed: "I didn't want it to be true. It was surreal. You hear about it happening to people but you don't expect it to happen to you." The disease is so rare that medics in Exeter said Otto was the first case they had seen in 10 years. Despite the gruelling treatment, the "happy, smiley" boy is "coping with it really well" and has won the hearts of the nursing staff. Sophie shared: "You wouldn't think he's going through what he is because he's constantly happy and smiling." In the meantime, Otto's illness has compelled Sophie to quit her job - and Paul has had to take leave from work for frequent hospital visits. Paul likened their life to 'groundhog day' and stated: "Pretty much since he's been born, we've been in and out of hospital. "We haven't been able to spend time as a family. We're having to borrow money. I've had to get a load of advance payments from work. We're falling behind with bills and stuff. "We're on the phone constantly trying to get a cheaper tariff. It's an added stress. I worry that the money side of it could get worse." Sophie expressed her concerns about Otto being left 'behind in many things' - as unlike most one year olds, he cannot walk or crawl and has no teeth. Paul described the family's situation as a 'nightmare' and that they had been denied 'a normal life'. Sophie and Paul are asking for assistance with travel costs, loss of income and daily expenses during Otto's illness. You can donate to their fundraiser here
