Otto Acreman (1) from Gothenburg, Sweden, started breathing hard at the beginning of 2025 and was not gaining weight. His parents, Sophie (25) and Paul (27), took him to the doctors several times. They assured them that it was just a cold, informs .
The young couple began to have serious concerns about their son. “He had heavy, congested breathing and wheezing. It wouldn’t go away, so we took him to the GP four or five times and also to the emergency room to get it sorted, but they kept telling us it was just a cold and it would go away. They said it was normal for a child his age.” his father explained.
Except when you’re Otto’s Aunt Charlotte at the family barbecue she noticed the lump on his neck, the situation changed. After the ultrasound and other tests, they were planning to leave the hospital when the doctors immediately called them back and informed them that the results they had so far were abnormal. “It was pretty scary… the first thing I did was panic,” the terrified mother described the situation.
In August 2025, he was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive tumor of the nervous system that mainly affects young children. Doctors said they had not seen such a case for 10 years.
The boy had to undergo biopsies, CT scans, blood transfusion, feeding tube insertion and access to the heart for chemotherapy. He has already completed four difficult cycles of treatment and the family is waiting to see if he will need more. Despite his serious condition, Otto is always cheerful and smiling, according to his parents. However, health problems destroyed the family financially and psychologically – Sophie has had to stop working, Paul is taking unpaid leave and the family is struggling with bills and debts.
“It’s like an endless day, always hospital and fear,” describes the father. Otto hasn’t started walking, crawling or teeth yet – the disease hinders his development. Despite this, they believe that the treatment worked. They are waiting for the results of the latest examinations, which will decide on the next steps, whether more chemotherapy or another form of treatment will be needed.
“Otto’s our warrior. He’s still laughing even though we’re no longer in charge,” says his mother. The family is asking for help with travel costs, loss of income and daily expenses to be with their son. “We haven’t been able to spend time together as a family. We have to borrow money. We’re getting behind on our bills and things like that,” she explained their current situation.
