Girl, five, battling cancer as mum issues message for others fighting disease
A five-year-old girl from South Lanarkshire is bravely fighting cancer after being diagnosed in April last year.
Heidi's mum Mellissa has now shared a heartfelt message for other families dealing with the disease. Mellissa first noticed something was wrong after Heidi's third birthday when she was constantly unwell.
She said: "One day she became very jaundiced so I took her again to see our GP. We were told to go straight to hospital for blood tests. At our local hospital they took bloods and Heidi was taken by ambulance immediately to The Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, where she received an emergency blood transfusion."
She added: "After various blood tests, another blood transfusion and a bone marrow biopsy, Heidi was finally diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. She started treatment straight away."
The mum proudly describes her daughter as a "very creative girly girl, who loves make-up, drawing and dressing up. She also adores dogs and luckily her grandparents have three, which keep her busy on the days she gets to visit."
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
Heidi is currently undergoing the maintenance part of her treatment at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, where she has weekly blood tests and chemotherapy, reports GlasgowLive. "We still have lots of in-patient stays when she is poorly, but Cancer Support UK's kid's cancer kit has helped greatly in keeping Heidi entertained. She loves to draw in the notebook from the kit and she is getting really good at doing tricks with the yoyo.
"The cosy Minion socks and the cuddly Warmies bear have been a real treat for when she is having a hospital stay, as they help to keep her nice and cosy. We are very lucky to have a massive support system with all our family, friends and community always checking in with us.
"We just have to ride the waves of treatment and take each day as they come. We try to look for a positive every day even the bad days. For any parents or family affected by cancer I want you to know you are not alone and that I am thinking of you."
Heidi recently received a Kid's Kit from Cancer Support UK. The charity aims to send these special kits to every child fighting cancer in hospitals across the country this Christmas. Cancer Support UK CEO Mark Guymer said: "Cancer is a traumatic experience that affects both a child with a cancer diagnosis, as well as their entire family."
He added: "This is why Cancer Support UK developed a cancer kit (in consultation with cancer patients) specifically for children to use in hospital while being treated. The Kid's Kit is sent free of charge and contains toys, socks, a warmable ted and other items to help support the child while they are in hospital. We know from parental/child feedback that our Kid's Kit gives children a huge emotional boost at a time when they need it most.
"Cancer Support UK receives no public funding and rely entirely on public donations for its work. This is why we are asking as many people as possible to help children with cancer, like Heidi, by getting behind our Christmas Fill a Kit campaign. We want to ensure that every child facing cancer in hospital this Christmas receives a Kid's Kit." People can donate to the campaign by visiting here.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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