A mother has spoken of her "worst nightmare" after her two-year-old daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia, having initially thought the symptoms were a bug picked up at nursery.
Kay, whose daughter Tanwen had just celebrated her second birthday in April 2025, noticed the toddler had become very pale and struggled to walk. When the family tried to get a GP appointment, they were told they could not be seen for a fortnight, so Tanwen was rushed to A&E at Shrewsbury Hospital. Tests revealed dangerously low blood levels, an enlarged liver and spleen, and a diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL).
Chemotherapy and complications
Tanwen has since undergone five rounds of chemotherapy and suffered reactions to some treatment. She is now in the maintenance phase, which is gentler on her body, but still requires daily and weekly oral chemotherapy, a monthly dose via her central line, and a chemo drug into her spinal fluid every three months. She also takes a steroid drug for a week each month and preventative antibiotics every weekend.
After finishing the chemotherapy blocks, Tanwen came home but became extremely ill with a lung infection, sepsis, and severe neuropathy, leaving her unable to breathe on her own. The maintenance phase, designed to maintain remission and prevent relapse, will last around a year and a half.
Support from Cancer Support UK
During treatment, Tanwen received a Kids' Kit from Cancer Support UK, containing toys, cosy socks, a heatable sensory Warmies bunny, and other items. Kay said: "It was wonderful to see Tanwen’s little face light up while she explored everything that was in the kit. She had just finished a round of high-dose chemo, so was quite poorly when it arrived. It’s heartwarming to think that even strangers care."
Mark Guymer, CEO of Cancer Support UK, said: "A cancer diagnosis affects the whole family, and treatment can be especially frightening and isolating for children. Our Kids' Kits provide comfort, distraction and a sense of normality during long hospital stays and difficult days at home. For children like Tanwen, they can bring moments of joy at a time when it is needed most. This Christmas, we're asking people to help us fill more kits so that no child facing cancer feels alone."
