A child with cancer is not alone

The ripple effect

Blue was just two years old when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a rare and aggressive blood cancer, in March 2011. In our ‘A child with cancer is not alone’ campaign video those closest to Blue describe their role in supporting Blue throughout his long and gruelling cancer journey.

The now nine-year-old’s story is shared through the eyes of his mum, Francesca, who describes the period as five years of “absolute hell”, his sister, grandparents, family friends and, lastly, his consultant. Each viewpoint demonstrates just how many people are impacted by childhood cancer but also that in tough times, a family’s support network means that a child never has to face cancer alone.

A sister’s story

They broke the news that Blue had months to live and that we were probably going to end up losing him…and that’s something that will stick in my mind for the rest of my life.

Blue’s sister Kizzy recounts the moment she thought she would lose her little brother to acute myeloid leukaemia and shares her advice for those supporting a family member with childhood cancer as part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in 2019.

A grandmother’s story

Two years wasn’t enough for him to be on this earth for me. I walked up to him, he was completely out of it… I put my finger in his little hand and I said to him ‘you’ve got to fight for Nanny.

Blue’s grandmother Thelma talks about the impact of a cancer diagnosis on the entire family and how she supported Blue’s mum, and the rest of the family, throughout his cancer journey.

A consultant’s story

I think we were all absolutely devastated when Blue relapsed first of all. He’d been doing very well and in fact he was well.

Jill Urand is a paediatric consultant at East Kent Hospitals. Acting as Blue’s shared-care paediatrician since his first diagnosis in 2011, Jill experienced Blue’s entire journey through treatment, relapse and recovery.

A child’s story

It was scary but at the same time I felt like I had someone beside me helping me fight off the cancer. And those people were my doctors and nurses, my mum, my dad, my nan my grandad and the rest of my family.

Blue.

Blue was diagnosed with leukaemia when he was two-years-old. He talks about his battle against cancer, his support network and life after cancer.