15 December 2023 , 13:57
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A little girl was diagnosed with cancer after experiencing fatigue and unexplained bruising.
Poppy Sheehan was four when mum Shannon, 26, noticed the swelling on her skin and quickly sought out medical advice. The youngster was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a type of white blood cell cancer.
And now Shannon, who lives in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, is reflecting on her daughter's remarkable journey - as she and her family look to enjoy Christmas in the Lake District together. Poppy spent last Christmas in hospital, having undergone gruelling chemotherapy. Mum-of-one Shannon said today: "I'm going to give her the best Christmas possible with all the presents she wants and unlimited chocolate. It'll be a celebration of love, life and strength."
Shannon praised her plucky daughter's resilience (Jam Press Vid)Shannon, a full-time carer to Poppy, is sharing her little girl's journey to help others going through similar experiences. The mum continued: "She's taught me a lot about the power of courage and keep the spirit alive no matter how hard things get - she's my shining star.
"It's been the most emotional time of my life and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. Our lives now revolve around the heart-wrenching reality of my little girl being sick.
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
"It's been such an aggressive toll on her and the financial strain is unbearable, especially with Christmas coming up, as I've had to quit my job to become her full-time carer. But no matter what, Poppy's spirit has remained unbroken and I'm sticking by her side with bravery each step of the way."
Shannon has shared her thoughts and pictures of her and her daughter to help raise awareness (Jam Press Vid)Poppy, now five, has lost her "precious" locks of hair and while it's torn the mum apart, her daughter is still continuing to fight her battle with pride. Shannon and Poppy are now regularly visiting Sheffield Children's' Hospital for chemotherapy treatment and blood transfusions in a bid to combat the disease.
"I remember looking her and thinking she was still so beautiful without hair. I've had to reassure her of this a lot, and her resilience has been truly remarkable," Shannon said.
"Her eyes constantly sparkle each day and when they had to shave off her head, she didn't even flinch and said: 'Take it off, I don't need it anymore' - which made me well up with such proud feeling.... We've still got a long road ahead, but her hair is slowly growing back and I've started to regain hope for a brighter future."