The grieving parents of a teenage girl who died from breast cancer at just 17 years old are now spearheading a campaign to overhaul medical referral protocols for young people across Scotland. Mark and Michelle Sneddon have launched a heartfelt petition demanding legislative changes, convinced that their daughter Isla might still be alive today if her symptoms had been investigated with the same urgency afforded to adult patients.
A Tragic Timeline of Missed Opportunities
Isla Sneddon first discovered a concerning lump in her breast when she was only 15 years old. Following medical consultation, her family was reassured by healthcare professionals that the mass was likely benign and probably related to normal hormonal changes during adolescence. This initial assessment provided temporary comfort but ultimately set a dangerous precedent.
The Critical Downgrade That Changed Everything
By the time Isla reached 17, medical advice finally suggested a biopsy was necessary. However, in what her parents describe as a devastating bureaucratic decision, the urgent referral was subsequently downgraded specifically because of her age. This administrative adjustment created fatal delays in her diagnostic pathway.
When the cancer was eventually confirmed, the diagnosis came with a heartbreaking prognosis: doctors informed the family that Isla had just six months to a year to live. "We trusted what we were told," Mark Sneddon recalled with palpable emotion. "We believe that if Isla had been an adult presenting with the same symptoms, there would have been a much more thorough investigation. She wouldn't have been told it was something she'd simply grow out of."
A Family's Agonising Journey Through the Healthcare System
During the summer of 2024, Isla's health deteriorated dramatically as her undiagnosed cancer progressed. She was rushed to her local hospital in Airdrie before enduring ten gruelling weeks of scans and treatments across multiple Scottish healthcare facilities. The family's world was shattered when they reached the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre.
"Me and my wife were thinking there would be stages and we could see what treatment she needed," Mark explained. "We got to the Beatson and a woman took us into a room and said our daughter was going to die. She had six months to a year to live. The cancer had spread from her breast to her lungs, her heart and her lymph nodes. By the time they detected it, it was too late—it was purely about damage limitation."
Precious Final Months and a Heartbreaking Farewell
The devoted family cherished every remaining moment with their daughter during her final months. Isla underwent six months of chemotherapy before her condition deteriorated rapidly. In a particularly poignant memory, Mark described how Isla "would never ask to go to hospital because she'd been in hospital for so long," making her final request for medical help especially significant.
"We nursed her for six months of chemotherapy and she died in our arms in hospital," Mark shared. "We thought we'd have a lot more time with her. It was so horrible. It's the sort of thing you see on television—it happens to other people and you don't think it'll happen to you."
The Birth of Isla's Law: A Campaign for Change
In the year since their daughter's passing, the Sneddon family has channeled their grief into action. They are fighting to establish Isla's Law, which would mandate that general practitioners ensure urgent paediatric cancer referrals are subject to identical maximum waiting periods as adult cancer referrals. Their Change.org petition has already garnered more than 35,000 signatures, demonstrating significant public support for their cause.
The family is scheduled to meet with Scottish Health Secretary Neil Gray next month to discuss their concerns directly. Mr Gray has expressed his "deepest sympathies" to the family and confirmed the Scottish Government published updated referral guidelines for suspected cancer in August, which include new provisions for children and young people.
Healthcare Response and Ongoing Dialogue
Arwel Williams, NHS Lanarkshire's director of acute services, stated: "Our team have been responding to the family's concerns through correspondence and face-to-face meetings and we have reassured the family that Isla's treatment was in line with expected clinical pathways. However, we fully recognise how devastating this has been to the family and our thoughts and sincere sympathies remain with them."
Mark Sneddon's motivation remains clear and powerful: "I don't want another father or mother to feel like we do. We're empty, we're lost—I would never wish this on another family. If this gets passed, it can save another child from going through what Isla went through. Isla was the best daughter you could ask for—bright, bubbly, with a wonderful sense of humour. We just wanted her to have the best life she could have."
