Help Me Support My Chosen Charities

Hello, my name is Mia and I'm 15 years old.

For many years I struggled with my mental health, particularly anxiety about my physical health. I worried constantly about getting ill or something bad happening to someone in my family. It made it hard for me to be in large crowds and even attend school, but with the support of my counsellor, family and friends things started to improve and I was able to cope with my anxiety better. My confidence grew so much I begged and persuaded my mum to book tickets for the upcoming Harry Styles concert. This would have been my first ever concert and although I was nervous of the thought of being in a large crowd I wanted to push myself and give myself something to look forward to.

Three weeks before the concert I started to feel unwell, I noticed strange rashes, lumps and bruises all over my body and started getting really bad nose bleeds. My mum was really worried and took me to the children's emergency unit to get checked over but at first they thought it might just be a viral infection like glandular fever. My symptoms continued to get worse and on the 13th June 2023 blood tests confirmed that I had a type of cancer called T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (T-ALL for short). It's a type of blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow and affects the cells that helps fight infection. Treatment would last around 2.5 years and needed to start immediately.

I had to spend the next 7 weeks in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy, steroid treatment, x-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, lumbar punctures, biopsies, blood/platelet transfusions and so much more! The chemotherapy I received had really horrible side effects which made me extremely unwell. Two of these side effects included nausea and mouth/throat ulcers. This made it difficult to eat and drink or take my medication so I had to have a NG (feeding) tube inserted.

My hair started falling out very quickly after starting treatment so I made the decision to shave it off. I was really sad at first because I loved my curls, but I soon got used to my new look. Because I was bed bound for many weeks I lost a lot of muscle and it was hard to stand for a long time, or walk very far. I had to work with physiotherapists to help me get strong again.

Four months into my treatment I had a rare reaction to one of the chemotherapies. I developed pancreatitis and had to spend a further 3 weeks on the children's intensive care unit and cancer ward. It was a really scary time for me and my family. My other organs were also under a lot of stress and the fluid around my lungs was starting to show signs of infection, but after an intense course of antibiotics and other various treatments I started to improve and was finally discharged again.

It's now been 7 months since my diagnosis. Although I still have another 2 years of treatment I'm feeling a lot stronger and more positive. I've decided that I would like to help raise awareness and money for the 3 charities that have been doing an amazing job at helping me and my family since my diagnosis. 

Let me tell you about them...

Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales Charity

Unlike hospitals that adults are used to Noah’s Ark is a fun and colourful space that treats children with all types of illnesses, but the specialist children’s cancer ward has become my second home. The charity funds new medical equipment that is used to make us better, and their team of play specialists make our stay at hospital as fun and stress free as possible. They explain medical procedures in a way that's easy to understand and makes things a lot less scary. They get to know our likes and dislikes and put on fun activities like cake decorating, painting, reading, nail art, glitter tattoos, music and much more! They also have an amazing team of therapy dogs that come to visit from time to time , my favourite is a border collie named Daisy. She always has a smile on her face and gives the best cuddles!

Latch Welsh Children's Cancer Charity

This charity supports the specialist children's cancer ward at Noahs Ark Hospital. They are most well known for the hotel style accommodation they offer families free of charge which has helped keep my family together when I've had to stay at hospital for long periods of time. They also provide practical, financial and emotional support to families of children receiving cancer treatment and have been a massive help to me and my family since my diagnosis.

Cancer Research UK

Behind the scenes, the amazing work done in researching cancer has led to drugs and treatments that can give patients like me hope. I have 2 grandparents who are also undergoing treatment for cancer at the moment so I want to support a charity that funds the research of all types of cancer!

I really hope you might find a way to donate whatever you can so that these charities can keep giving hope and support to children like me in the future. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

Mia x