‘Inspiring’ Buxton schoolgirl’s family thank doctors for life-saving cancer treatment
A Buxton schoolgirl has defied all odds and learned to walk again for the third time in two years after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
Isla Mansfield, five, was diagnosed with multi-system Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis (LCH) in May 2018 and was treated at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
Recalling the diagnosis, mum Rachael Hodgkinson said: “It started with aching joints and shortly afterwards Isla was diagnosed as being severely anaemic.
“We were under the care of our local hospital at the time, but she deteriorated quickly. She lost weight, was very tired.
“Motherly instinct just told me that something was not right. Over the next month, we underwent copious amounts of tests through what was effectively a process of elimination until we reached a diagnosis.”
LCH is a disorder in which excess immune system cells build up in the body, damaging tissue and causing tumours.
Isla’s blood, bone, gut and skin were all affected, alongside high-risk organs her spleen and liver. Isla also developed lesions in her skull and problems in her bone marrow.
In 2019, she had 120 hours of intensive chemotherapy, along with countless blood and platelet transfusions.
Mum Rachael added: “We’ve learned throughout this journey that with Isla, nothing goes to plan, but we get there. It’s such a rare and complex disease so that’s all we can ask for.”
Her family are now supporting a charity appeal to redevelop the ward that saved her life.
The Children’s Hospital Charity is currently fundraising to transform the ward, by creating more single patient bedrooms with en-suite facilities, giving the opportunity for more patients to make the place their own and increase the space for parents to sleep alongside them.
Rachael added: “The nurses and staff on the ward are incredible and they’ve pulled out all the stops for us, so it’s important we get this done for them.”
The charity has 12 months left to fully fund the £2.75million project transforming the Cancer and Leukaemia ward at Sheffield Children’s.
To support the fundraising, visit www.tchc.org.uk.
Source: Buxton Advertiser By Lucy Roberts
Support a family fighting financial toxicity of cancer – here.