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A mom claims her GP stated her four-year-old daughter was “faking it” every week earlier than she was recognized with blood most cancers.
Rebecca Herbert’s daughter Summer time, now seven, was recognized with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in April 2022 after she was discovered mendacity on the ground in her bed room, unable to stroll or use her legs.
Summer time, from Hampshire, had been “always poorly” and bruising simply within the weeks prior, however when Rebecca, 33, visited her GP, she claims the physician stated Summer time was “faking it” and informed her to “go residence and dose her up on Calpol”.
Attorneys appearing on behalf of the GP stated they had been sorry to listen to Rebecca “felt her daughter’s signs weren’t handled severely” and claimed they informed her to take Summer time for an X-ray that night on the closest A&E division as she couldn’t bear weight in her proper leg.
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Rebecca stated when she reached the closest medical centre, she was informed Summer time was not booked in for an X-ray, so as a substitute determined to take Summer time to Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester, that very same night, the place she had blood assessments – and one week later, after being referred to Southampton Common Hospital, it was confirmed Summer time had leukaemia, aged 4.
She stated Summer time had greater than two years of chemotherapy, which means she misplaced all her hair and missed faculty and seeing pals – however after ending her remedy in June, she had a celebration to rejoice and was handled like “a correct princess”.
Reflecting on Summer time’s prognosis, which she stated was very almost missed, Rebecca needs to induce different mother and father to belief their intestine instincts.
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She stated: “Once I went to the docs along with her, they principally stated that she was faking it.
“They actually stated, from their mouth, ‘She’s faking it’. I stated: ‘Why would she faux it? It’s half-term.’ I’d perceive if it was my son and he didn’t wish to go to highschool, however this wasn’t the case.
“They stated, ‘No, no, simply go residence and dose her up on Calpol’ … I assumed, ‘No, this isn’t proper’.”
She added: “Simply all the time go in your mom instincts. You recognize when one thing’s improper together with your youngsters … and even should you’re unsure, go and get checked.”
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Rebecca, a former care employee, described her daughter Summer time as a “fireball” – she stated she was filled with vitality and all the time smiling.
In early 2022, Rebecca observed that Summer time was bruising greater than regular and she or he was “always poorly” – however assuming she simply had “the traditional frequent chilly”, she “didn’t assume something of it”.
When Summer time slipped on her skateboard and “smashed her head open”, requiring stitches, Rebecca stated she then observed the wound was not therapeutic correctly, which was “bizarre”.
However when Summer time’s brother found her mendacity on the ground in April 2022 in the course of the Easter holidays, unable to maneuver, Rebecca knew it was “one thing critical”.
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“We went to a museum and she or he seemed very pale, however I simply thought, as a result of she’s had a protracted day, she’s simply drained,” Rebecca defined.
“However then the following day, she was upstairs in her bed room – I simply went down for a espresso – and her brother was screaming, ‘Summer time can’t stand up from the ground!’
“So I went upstairs and she or he was simply mendacity there and I assumed, ‘One thing’s improper’.”
Rebecca stated Summer time had a temperature of 39.9C and she or he known as her GP to ebook an emergency appointment, which she secured for later that afternoon.
Rebecca, who lives along with her husband Martin, 36, an engineer, stated she was making an attempt to not “panic” – however when she noticed her GP, she claims they stated Summer time was “faking” her signs and she or he ought to simply “dose up” on Calpol.
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In response to Rebecca, the GP did additionally ship her for an X-ray, however once they acquired to the minor accidents division that night she was informed Summer time was not booked in so there was not one accessible.
Together with her intestine telling her it was extra critical, Rebecca stated she drove to Royal Hampshire County Hospital that night – and whereas ready for additional assessments, she began wanting up Summer time’s signs.
In response to Most cancers Analysis UK, signs of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) can embrace breathlessness, wanting pale, selecting up infections simply and bruising or bleeding simply – and with Summer time having many of those, Rebecca feared the worst.
“I pre-warned myself and after I informed my husband, he stated, ‘No, no, it’s in all probability one thing else, she’s in all probability anaemic’,” Rebecca stated.
“However then every week later, after going to Southampton Common Hospital, we discovered that she had leukaemia.”
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In response to the charity Younger Lives vs Most cancers, which helps youngsters and younger folks (0-25) with most cancers and their households, one in each 450 youngsters underneath 15 develops a most cancers within the UK.
One in every of Rebecca’s first questions after listening to the prognosis was, “is she going to lose her hair?”, however she stated her thoughts simply went “clean” after this.
Summer time then began the primary of a number of rounds of chemotherapy and, inside 10 days, Rebecca stated her hair was “shredding”.
Regardless of uncomfortable side effects of hair loss and fatigue, and lacking faculty, events and seeing her pals, Rebecca stated Summer time continued smiling and by no means complained throughout the next two years of remedy.
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“Us women, we love our hair, so I might be distraught if I misplaced my hair,” Rebecca stated.
“I even stated to Summer time, ‘In order for you, I’ll reduce my hair off too’, however she stated, ‘No, mummy, you’re outdated and it’ll take endlessly to develop again, so I can simply get a wig’.
“Once I let you know this baby bossed it, from begin to end, I’m not kidding.
“Any image you see, she has a smile on her face.”
Attributable to Summer time’s chemotherapy remedy, she is “very behind” on her schoolwork, and she or he missed out on swimming classes, going to the park, birthday events, gentle play and driving a motorcycle – however she is regularly catching up.
Her remedy completed in June this yr, and the household held a big celebration to rejoice her reaching remission, with a “large cake” and everybody carrying orange as leukaemia is represented by this color.
“My husband’s brother made a bell, so she rang the bell in entrance of everybody, it was very emotional, and there was a giant teddy subsequent to it,” Rebecca stated.
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“We purchased her a brand-new costume and a hairdresser got here to our home. She was handled like a correct princess that day – she had her make-up achieved, all her nails achieved.”
Rebecca stated the household is “again to normality” now, which feels “scary”, however Summer time is commonly going for check-ups and blood assessments to make sure the most cancers doesn’t return.
She needs to encourage different mother and father to learn up on childhood leukaemia, as lots of Summer time’s signs matched medical info supplied on-line, and to get any uncommon signs checked.
Talking about Summer time now, she stated: “I’m that mum that can say, ‘I’m pleased with my youngsters’.
“She’s all the time eager to study and she or he’s smashing life in the intervening time.”
Younger Lives vs Most cancers’s specialist social staff can be found from the second of prognosis to assist younger folks and households, like Summer time’s, get the correct assist on the proper time.
To seek out out extra, go to: younglivesvscancer.org.uk
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A press release from Summer time’s GP, shared by means of legal professionals appearing on their behalf, said: “(The GP) had been sorry to listen to that (Rebecca) felt her daughter’s signs weren’t handled severely and wish to reassure her that this isn’t the case.
“(The GP) was very involved about (Rebecca’s) daughter, who introduced with ache in her decrease proper leg, and who he recorded was unable to weight bear.
“(They) recorded that she wanted an X-ray to exclude the opportunity of a greenstick fracture and requested (Rebecca) to take her to the closest A&E division for an X-ray that night.
“(Rebecca) and her daughter the truth is attended the native minor accidents unit, who recorded that that they had been despatched by their GP for an X-ray.
“(The GP) was additionally acutely aware that there is perhaps a malignant trigger for the leg ache and recorded a plan to contemplate the necessity for a paediatric assessment if the X-ray was regular and if (Rebecca’s) daughter was nonetheless unable to weight bear the following day.
“(The GP was) happy to study that the assorted NHS departments labored properly collectively to diagnose and deal with (Rebecca’s) daughter and want her and her household properly.”
