'GP said my girl had anxiety - real diagnosis is every parent's worst nightmare'
When she took her 'bubbly and active' daughter to the doctor with a pain in her side, mum-of-two Christina Harris knew there was something seriously wrong - but it took multiple trips to get to the bottom of her illness
After complaining about having a sharp pain in her side as well as a fever and breathlessness that came out of nowhere, Christina Harris did what any parent would do and took her daughter to the GP.
However she was not prepared for what was about to come. Doctors told her that her Skye, 10, was suffering from anxiety, but Christina, 46, from Essex, knew that it was unlike her 'bubbly and active' daughter and that there was more to it.
Acting on her mother's instinct, Christina saw that Skye was still in pain, while the fever continued, so she took her to A&E a few days later.
"Sometimes you just have to go with your instincts when you know something is wrong," Christina told The Mirror. Determined to know what was causing her daughter to be in pain, doctors then did several scans, including an X-ray and noticed shadowing on Skye's ribcage.
"They initially thought it may be an infection or something and gave her some antibiotics to clear it up," Christina recalled. "I hoped this was the case, and we went home with antibiotics."
But after a few days, and still unsure, Christina rushed her daughter back to A&E after Skye had another temperature in the middle of the night, and she knew deep down her daughter wasn't getting any better. "You just go into a pilot mode, I was blocking out any type of negative thoughts I was having, and just wanted what was best for my daughter."
During this visit, doctors then found Skye's lungs full of mucus. She was diagnosed with pneumonia, which was the reason for her excruciating pain, and after further investigation and more blood tests, it turned out to be something much worse.
On December 7, 2021, the keen dancer was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), a rare type of blood cancer and was blue-lighted to Great Ormond Street Hospital to begin her chemotherapy treatment. "I knew something wasn't right, she kept complaining of this pain, even in her sleep, it wasn't normal," the worried mum reflected.
"It was scary when they told me she had pneumonia. Obviously I did not anticipate what was to come. It's every parent's worst nightmare."
Christina, a mother of two, sadly lost her job as an estate agent because she needed to support her daughter and became a full-time carer. Her son Marley, 13 at the time, was able to spend time at his dad's house more frequently as Christina cared for Skye.
"You just know deep down when something isn't right, but I never thought it would be that Skye had leukaemia, you just have to go with your instincts in these moments and I am so glad I did. When we got the news, I just went into flight mode and I couldn't think of anything other than the fact my daughter had cancer.
READ MORE: 'Entitled mum approached me in restaurant with demanding request for her son'
"I cried so much when we got to Great Ormond Street, but in a strange way, I finally felt safe. I was just so pleased that they had found out what was wrong." Skye then spent 11 days in Great Ormond Street, where she began her chemotherapy treatment.
"We were at Great Ormond Street multiple times a week, as well as appointments at our local hospital too. She was having such aggressive chemotherapy which went on for six months.
"I had to also make sure I was keeping an eye on her temperature, as if it went to 38 degrees I'd need to rush her to hospital. I knew when she wasn't right."
Skye was put on strong antibiotics every time she had a high fever due to her weakened immune system and was having chemotherapy given in multiple ways, including into her thigh, as well as into her spine.
"This type of leukaemia is one of the longest cancer treatments for children and it made Skye really poorly." Skye finished her treatment after a year, and then moved on to maintenance chemotherapy, designed to help keep cancer from coming back after it has disappeared following the initial therapy.
While she felt extremely unwell during her treatment, Skye said she enjoyed going to Great Ormond Street as she had become friends with all of the doctors and nurses. She was also treated to takeaways and feasted on food when she felt up to it.
Skye said: "I wasn't at school and I wasn't making any friends so it was hard, but I got to know all of the nurses and they were really nice to me. It wasn't a nice experience but I managed to find some joys in between and my mum let me have any kind of food I wanted so we would always get a Nando's or a Pizza Express."
Recalling the time spent in hospital, Chrisina said it was "horrendous" and detailed: "It was really hard. You never want this for anyone, let alone your own children and it was really difficult.
"I think you just sort of switch off from everything else and just go into this type of pilot mode. You have to give her everything she needs and I got to a point where I had this diary where I'd tick off hour by hour which medication I was giving her.
"She needed certain medications at exact times so it was a lot to do - I was basically a nurse looking after her. I was trying to just block out any negative thoughts and just focus on giving her what she needed. "The first nine months, when she was having the most intensive part of the treatment, we couldn't leave the house and the only people that could come in were the nurses.
"My parents live in Denmark so I was doing it all alone, and my son Marley had to get dropped at his dad's a lot of the time, especially when Skye needed to be rushed into hospital quickly - even in the middle of the night."
Skye was finally able to ring the bell on March 30 last year and has been in remission since. She also celebrated with an end of treatment party, something she had been looking forward to for the past three years.
Now 13, Skye is doing really well and says she wants to be a nutritionist at GOSH. She said: "I really want to be a nutritionist, my time in treatment has really inspired me to help others like the way the doctors and nurses have helped me.
GOSH Charity is currently raising £300m to build a new Children's Cancer Centre at Great Ormond Street, which will help thousands of children like Skye. Skye and her mum Christina say the new centre will be "amazing" for patients like her.
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Daily Mirror
14 hours ago
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Everything you should do if you believe someone is missing
Having a loved one go missing is difficult to deal with so having clear idea of what steps to take is important. Guidance from police and the charity Missing People helps Someone is reported missing every 90 seconds in the UK, which is more than 170,000 people a year. Of these, about 75,000 are children, and nearly 96,000 are adults. When a loved one goes missing, it can be difficult to know what to do. Earlier this year, The Mirror teamed up with the charity Missing People to launch the Missed campaign, raising awareness of every publicly-listed missing person in the UK. The police and Missing People provide advice on how to cope when someone you know goes missing, as well as what steps need to be taken - and we've used this to put together a simple guide outlining each important part of the process, from making the report to searching for your loved one. How can you report a missing person? If someone goes missing, you should contact anyone you think may know their whereabouts, and if you're still concerned, contact your local police. It is a common misconception that you have to wait 24 hours before contacting the police. If you are concerned, report it straight away. The police may ask you for a photo of the missing person, details of their friends and relatives, places they often visit, whether they have a medical condition, and for a sample of their DNA (such as from a toothbrush). The person will be recorded as missing and their details made available to other UK police forces within 48 hours. If someone goes missing abroad, you should contact your local police, who will then contact the force in the relevant country through Interpol, as well as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. You can do this by calling 020 7008 5000 and asking for 'Consular Assistance'. DEMAND ACTION FOR MISSING PEOPLE Too many missing people are falling through the cracks - harmed while away, and ignored when they return. We need a proper government strategy led by the Home Office, Education, and Health departments to stop this crisis. Right now, there's no real support. People go missing again and again - yet no one's asking why. We're calling for: A new national strategy for missing children and adults Proper support for missing people when they return Investment to stop people going missing in the first place At 10,000 signatures, the government has to respond. At 100,000, it will be debated in Parliament. That's our goal - real action. What will the police do during a missing person case? The police will sometimes allocate a Family Liaison Officer (FLO) to a missing person case, who will act as a consistent point of contact for the family, and provide support and information about the investigation. After 72 hours, the police working on the case have to tell the UK Missing Persons Unit, which is part of the National Crime Agency. The unit carries out enquiries on behalf of local forces, keeps a database of missing and found people, and manages the forensic database of DNA profiles and fingerprints. The police will also have to decide if a case is high risk, medium risk, low risk, or no apparent risk, after a person is reported missing. They will take into account factors like age and health - but the risk level can change during the investigation if new information comes to light or circumstances change. How can you find a missing person? As well as reporting the missing person to the police, you can call the person, search the places where you think they could be, and speak to people that may know where they are, the Missing People charity explained. You could try ringing around hospitals to see if they have had any recent unidentified individuals admitted. You should ask family and friends to help you as this can 'speed things up and make you feel more supported and less alone'. It is also a good idea to make a note of all the things you have done, places you have searched, and the people you have spoken to, as this may be helpful later. If the person is still missing after several weeks, you should make sure to know who your point of contact is in the police and what is happening in the search. You should also think about publicity and can share posts on social media to raise awareness. Missing People said: 'When sharing our appeal, if you feel comfortable to do so, you could try targeting useful agencies such as local newspapers and asking them to share it.' You could also reach out to your loved one's favourite sports team, if they have one, to ask them to help share the appeal. If Missing People has launched a public posted campaign for your loved one, you will receive a copy via email. You can hand this out to places like pubs, nature reserves, and cafes, as well as other places where they have lots of connections such as a town they used to live in. Talking to family and friends about how you're feeling, or seeking professional support, is a good idea if they remain missing after several months. There are many ways to keep the media interested in your appeal after a long time, such as by making a page or group on social media, launching Facebook fundraisers, and getting in touch with media outlets as you reach notable timelines. Missing People advised: 'If you have any photographs of your loved one which you have not yet shared publicly, consider if you would like to share them online and with the media. Sometimes having a new photograph, or even an alternative such as them with a beard or without, can help to create more interest in the appeal. It can also jog peoples' memories.' It may be worth considering whether Age Progression would be useful if your loved one has been missing a long time. This method involves changing a photo of the person to show how they would look after aging or maturing. The police warn against putting yourself in danger while searching for your loved one. It says: 'Let police deal with any specialist searches in places like mountains or water.' However, there are things you can do to help with the search, which includes leaving the missing person's bedroom and things alone, and not touching their hairbrush or toothbrush, as this could be used to collect a DNA sample. When is a missing person case closed? A missing person case is only closed when the person is found. However, when it has been 12 months, the investigation will be reviewed to consider if it can become a 'Long Term Missing' case. During the process, there will likely be several reviews held by the police. Guidance states that reviews should be completed at the latest after 28 days, three months, six months, and 12 months, then annually thereafter. It explains: 'If significant information comes to light, this should trigger an immediate review. Consideration may also be given to cold case reviews of outstanding missing person cases.' Families should be 'given reasonable expectations about ongoing contact during long-term cases' and be told about the review process and updated on the outcomes. Missing People said: 'If you do not feel like these expectations are being followed by your police force you should ask to speak to the responsible officer and explain your concerns. If you still feel that they are not communicating reasonably regularly you can consider making a complaint.'
