Little Oshin 'close to death', months after stopping cancer treatment

The little Perth boy whose cancer battle divided Australia is close to death, but his family is determined to make the final weeks count.

Six-year-old Oshin Kiszko has been bed-ridden and unable to walk since a seizure two weeks ago.

And now his mum Angela is planning a memorial service instead of getting ready for Christmas.

“He tells me my heart won’t be broken, that he’ll protect me,” she said.

Oshin underwent surgery and two rounds of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with a deadly brain tumour in December 2015.

But his parents rejected radiation and opted instead for palliative treatment, which went against doctor advice.

“If he can’t live very long, I would like to have him home with us as a family, not being prodded and poked,” Oshin’s mother said at the time.

“Not being frightened — being loved, being cared for, having his family and friends around. All I ask for is palliative care for our beautiful boy.”

It was a decision that divided the nation, but Ms Kiszko said it was for the best.

“He’s frightened of getting a bandaid pulled off, that’s how sensitive he is,” she said.

Now months later, Oshin’s parents say the community has rallied around their son, including one business which transformed the family’s front yard for free to give Oshin a reason to smile.

“The public support, if they weren’t there and it was just me... I wouldn’t have stood a chance,” Ms Kiszko said.

Angela Kiszko said she wants to become an advocate for parents dealing with the same horrible diagnosis, in a bid to help others make more informed choices.

But before that, Ms Kiszko said she is spending as much time with her son as she can.

“I tell him that I love him with all my heart and he says ‘I love you’ with all his heart,” she said.

“I’ll just be broken when he’s gone.”