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A 4-year-old boy was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer, just months before his mother was also diagnosed with cancer.

Raffi Starkowitz was diagnosed with Group 3 large cell anaplastic medulloblastoma in April, according to the Daily Mail.

The type of cancer is a form of “the most common malignant brain tumor in children,” according to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. “It begins in the cerebellum, an area in the back of the brain. Medulloblastoma can spread to other parts of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).”

Just months after Raffi’s diagnosis, his mother, Nicky Starkowitz, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. An MRI revealed that she had three growths in her armpit and breastbone, the Daily Mail reported. Nicky has since had a mastectomy and is also undergoing chemotherapy at Royal Free Hospital in London, according to the outlet.

The family, who are from Bushey, Hertfordshire, U.K., took Raffi to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London. Raffi underwent a 10-hour operation to remove the large brain tumor, which measured 5 cm (approximately 2 inches). He went on to receive several months of chemotherapy treatment, according to the Daily Mail.

The Starkowitz family has launched a GoFundMe to raise funds for Raffi’s DFMO treatment, which is only available in the U.S.

“A medicine called difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat children with high-risk neuroblastoma, as DFMO blocks polyamine production,” per the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“We are completely overwhelmed by the love, generosity, and kindness that have helped us reach our initial £200,000 (about $263,000) goal for Raffi’s DFMO treatment in the USA,” the GoFundMe read. “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to every single person who has donated, shared, prayed, or sent words of support — you have given our little boy a real chance at life, and we will never forget it.”

Nicky, who works as a pediatric nurse at Northwick Park Hospital in London, told the Daily Mail that it was the “shock of her life” to receive Raffi’s diagnosis, after initially assuming he had an ear infection. According to Cancer Research UK52 children in the U.K. are diagnosed with medulloblastoma per year.

“The chemo affected his immune system, and so basically he would just get infections, and need antibiotics and blood transfusions, to help his body recover enough that he could have the next treatment,” Nicky continued.

The mother of three added that Raffi has “lost all his hair, he’s had sickness and fatigue, hearing loss, and inflammation in his intestines.” She then explained that he was prescribed four different antibiotics during this phase of his treatment.

“Raffi also had shingles and then he had a skin infection, and he had to be on medication for all of that. Any temperature, he has to be in hospital for at least 48 hours, because he’s got no immunity to fight it off and it could lead to sepsis,” Nicky told the Daily Mail.

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Raffi will begin his DFMO trial at Penn State Children’s Hospital. “To be a part of a trial is really exciting for us, because obviously it gives us hope something more can be done, rather than just sitting back and taking a chance on his cancer returning,” Nicky added.

“Next week, we are both due to have chemo – but at least if we are going to feel rubbish, we can snuggle at home and feel rubbish together,” the nurse and mother said.

She then credited her husband, Neil Starkowitz, for his support during this difficult time in their family. “We are just dealing with each day as it comes and Neil has been amazing looking after us and the girls, while also still going out to work,” she told the Daily Mail.

“For now we just want to do the best we can for Raffi. We love him so much – he’s everything to us. We just want to do everything in our power to give him the best chance he deserves,” she continued.