A young family has been overwhelmed by community support as their toddler starts a lengthy fight against a rare lymphoma.
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Eddy Tooley, 14 months, is undergoing intensive treatment at the Royal Children's Hospital as his parents Kyle Tooley and Bailea McAuliffe stay by his side.
The pair had noticed a small lump on his nose about six weeks ago and believed he had probably bumped it or had something stuck.
He was checked by a doctor before going to Albury hospital on June 27, followed by a biopsy.
Within a week, the family were down at the Melbourne hospital undergoing further tests and have remained there for about three weeks.
Mr Tooley said hearing the diagnosis of the "unbelievably rare" cancer led to "pure fear".
"We've never been so scared of anything in our lives," he said.
"You're just heartbroken, you really are heartbroken for your little tacker.
"Things are looking good though.
"It's good to see positive results as we go along."
The Barnawartha family expect to stay in Melbourne for six to eight months, with Eddy now near the end of his second week of treatment.
"He's responded really well," his father said.
"We're just settling in for the long haul now."
The next two weeks will each involve 10 rounds of chemotherapy.
The lymphomas detected in his cheek, nose, shoulder, spleen and lymph nodes in his neck have already shrunk and are less active, while his bone marrow and spinal fluid are clear.
Eddy has been walking around the hospital ward but at some point will be immobile for a month and will then need to learn to walk again.
"We're absolutely lost for words," Mr Tooley said.
"We're so grateful.
"We love all of our friends and family more than you can imagine, they've just been incredible."
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Mr Tooley said COVID-19 measures also meant only one parent could be by his side at a time, with the pair swapping each day.
Their rural fencing business continues to operate, but border restrictions have made things challenging, along with trying to run the company from Melbourne.
The parents were at first reluctant to accept help, but realised they wouldn't have been able to do it on their own.
"We've had some unbelievable support thrown our way," Mr Tooley said.
