Hi , my name is Darren. I work as a Critical Care Ambulance driver for Birmingham childrens hospital KIDS/NTS team. This is for one of my lovely amazing colleagues Lianne , who is an Advanced Nurse Practioner for Birmingham Womens and Children hospital, and her beautiful daughter Darcie. Lianne and her family were themselves being dished with the most shocking upsetting news that her own daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia. Lianne was now comforting her own patient, having contributed in saving lives of many children.

Here is Darcies story:-

Darcie is the most amazing, happy, loveable 5yr old girl and our beautiful daughter! She has never been a particularly poorly child and often brushes things off, never moaning or complaining about anything!

Friday 7th November, I dropped her off at school but was a little teary at the gate along with several other children, so we just put it down to tiredness from first week back after half term!

When end of school came I eagerly waited to pick her up and hear all about her day, but instead I was met with a sad looking Darcie limping toward me. The teacher called me over and said Darcie just didn’t seem her usual happy self and had developed this limp but hadn’t hurt herself! 

We got home and she fell to sleep, the first nap she has had to take in 3 years so I thought maybe she was coming down with a cold or virus. 

I was working nights over the weekend so Darcies dad was at home and grew more concerned that she was complaining more about her poorly leg, waking her up through the night! I decided to get her seen at A+E as this increasing leg pain without injury, naps and the general feeling or her being not quite right had me concerned. The team in A+E were amazing, and clearly sensed a similar thing to me, as they ordered X-rays and blood tests…I even apologised for wasting their time as she skipped off to xray leaving me feeling like a neurotic parent!!

Monday 10th November we sat in A+E waiting for the blood results with me being increasingly embarrassed that we were wasting precious NHS resources, when the consultant came over with the nurse and said they would like to take me to a private room to discuss some of the results. I knew instantly what I must have been subconsciously worried about…my world came crashing down around us with the echo of the words “we have found blasts” whirled round and round in my head like some awful broken record! Then I had this deep sinking feeling…how do I phone her dad at home and tell him his precious baby girl may have Cancer? 

Things moved very fast from that point…we were admitted to the haematology oncology ward and had the confirmation bone marrow biopsy on the 11th November! With all the nanny’s and grandads around the bedspace the kind consultant confirmed what we all were praying was some sort of horrible mistake…she had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia! In that moment our world stopped, the life we had imagined and planned had all but shattered! Friday 14th November was her second theatre trip to place a Central line and to start what is going to be 2 years worth of gruelling chemotherapy! 

Darcie thankfully went into remission on Christmas Eve and as amazing as that is, it doesn’t shorten the treatment plan of 2 years! She is now coming to the end of consolidation 1 with the next cycle round the corner!

Darcie is an absolute super warrior and I’m constantly in awe of how she has handled this with such grace and determination! We have a long way to go but I have no doubt she will beat this!!

Darren says:-

Darcie deserves the world and just wants to be a Disney princess. Ive stepped in here to make Darcies end of treatment wishes come true and meet the real life Disney princesses at Disney world.

Lets make her dream come true and bring a little happiness back into this beautiful familys lives.