Without any warning, Sophie fell ill very suddenly, experiencing severe abdominal pain and sickness. Initially, we suspected appendicitis, but after feeling a hard area while waiting in the hospital, we thought it might be a blockage in her bowel. Cancer couldn’t have been further from our minds.
She underwent four rounds of chemotherapy to shrink the tumour before surgery. The tumour measured 17x15 cm. She then had an 8-hour operation to remove her kidney and the tumour, which was successful, followed by 27 weeks of chemotherapy, leading to remission.
However, she later relapsed at the biopsy site and in her back muscle, requiring chemotherapy at a much higher dose along with radiotherapy. These treatments made her quite sick, and she needed blood and platelet transfusions after every session. Unfortunately, the treatment reduced her heart function and damaged her liver. Nonetheless, she reached remission again.
In December 2021, while at school, Sophie discovered a lump on her back, confirming our fears of the cancer’s return. She subsequently underwent more chemotherapy and surgery. During a routine MRI before starting high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue, a new area of concern was identified. They started another chemotherapy regimen, hoping to follow it with high-dose chemotherapy.
Sophie has been fighting cancer for five years now, and her body is tired. We are in desperate need of finding kinder treatments.