“Mabel is funny, sweet, caring and has a heart of gold – she’s got a fierce side too! She loves rainbows & unicorns, dancing and swimming, in that sense, she is very typical of any other five-year-old girl. She loves dressing up, and every time we have a hospital appointment, she wears her most glittery outfit!

Mabel’s diagnosis happened very quickly.  In March 2023 she was sent home from nursery with a high temperature, but we didn’t think too much about it.  After a few days, her temperature was still very high and she was very lethargic, so we took her to the GP who told us it was tonsillitis.  That weekend, after she was no better with the antibiotics, we took her into A&E where things spiralled very quickly.  She presented with Strep A, RSV and sepsis – her blood pressure plummeted, she was put on oxygen and was admitted to the high dependency unit where she had to have an emergency platelet transfusion. The next morning, she was diagnosed with ALL.  We were in complete shock – it all went from Mabel being a little bit unwell to our world falling apart.

Once her infections were under control the following week, Mabel started her treatment, which lasted over two years.  It was full on and included daily chemotherapy, blood transfusions, lumbar punctures, steroids and injections.  I had to stop working immediately after Mabel’s diagnosis to be with her.

Mabel is very resilient and has done so well given everything that she has been through.  She lost all her hair, which was heartbreaking.  It would fall out and drop in her food but because she was so young she didn’t really say anything, but we could tell it bothered her.  The steroids also made her gain a lot of weight so her appearance changed drastically – she wouldn’t talk about it but would refuse to look at her reflection.  Now, we often catch her dancing in front of the mirror, and her hair is growing back so we can finally squeeze it into a ponytail which has made her so happy – she just wanted to look like everyone else in her class!

Momentum have been amazing. We were introduced to them at St. George’s Hospital shortly after diagnosis and they have been there for us ever since.  Our Family Support Worker, Sam, made weekly calls to us. We didn’t think we would need this because we have a lot of family and friends around, but it really helped to speak to someone who understood the situation and knew the hospitals and medical staff. Sam has helped with signposting, accessing financial support, and introducing us to other families through the Momentum coffee mornings. Our friends have been amazing, but if you haven’t been through it yourself, it is difficult to understand.

Mabel was poked and prodded a lot during her treatment, and at the start she was petrified every time anyone came into the hospital room. The Momentum green t-shirts were amazing as she immediately recognised that it wasn’t a doctor coming into her room so she would calm down.  Momentum funded play therapy which helped her to start to build trust with others outside of the family, and our son was offered creative arts sessions where they would make slime together and play games – which really helped him to process it all and open up.  Siblings can find a cancer diagnosis really tough, so it was great to know that Momentum was looking out for the whole family.

Even in the darkest of times, Momentum have helped us to create some wonderful memories. We spent a long time at home isolating as Mabel was immunocompromised.  Being able to take a trip on the Momentum riverboat was amazing as it was the first thing we did out ‘in the real world’ as a family.  We had lunch, my son steered the boat, and the crew were brilliant! It was so lovely to see the kids smiling and laughing again.  Momentum have also arranged experiences for Mabel and our son like the Fairy House and Christmas Grotto – things we wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise due to worry about infection risk.  We’ve also been lucky enough to use one of Momentum’s cabins – it was so nice to spend time together somewhere that wasn’t home.

Mabel’s diagnosis has altered our family forever.  We try not to worry about the small things as going through something like this really changes your perspective on life.  Mabel still has side effects from the chemotherapy, and she’s missed a lot of school, but we try and focus on the things she can do again now, like go swimming again.  She’s getting her confidence back and is really progressing – being in the water puts a huge smile on her face. She’s also just celebrated her fifth birthday with a class party with music, games and Elsa!

My advice for others at the start of this journey would be to not look too far ahead and take each day as it comes. We tried to break down each treatment cycle into blocks so you can focus on it a chunk at a time, which helps make it less overwhelming.  It’s also really important to try and take some time out for yourselves if you can as it’s all so full on – so accept help where you can!”

Story taken May 2025.