Emilia’s life-saving treatment won’t stop for Christmas, and she will spend hours of the day hooked up to her chemotherapy machine. 

Last Christmas was full of magic, presents, festive fun, and a plate piled high with all the trimmings for little Emilia. Unfortunately, the Christmas sparkle would soon fade for Emilia and her family, who could never be prepared for what would come next.

A few weeks later, just before her 8th birthday, Emilia started to get a pain in her hip and was referred for a scan after visiting her GP.

At first the doctors thought it was normal growing pains, but after lots of tests, it turned out to be something much more sinister, a tennis ball sized tumour just above Emilia’s liver.

Emilia has a rare and aggressive cancer called Metastatic Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) that effects just 60 children in the UK every year, and is currently undergoing life-saving treatment at Leeds Children’s Hospital.

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READ MORE: Find out more about how you can support staff and patients at Christmas

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By her side for every scan, test and treatment is Emilia’s mum Rachael and dad Paul, watching on helplessly as her little girl endures countless rounds of chemotherapy and gruelling radiotherapy as part of a clinical trial –their family’s best hope for Emilia’s future.

“It’s been so hard to watch Emilia go through all of this; no child should have to endure the anxiety and pain of cancer treatment. Emilia looks like a different child, she has lost a lot of weight, had to have an NG tube fitted for her regular anti-sickness medication and food, all her hair has fallen out, but on the inside, she is still just the same. I’ve been amazed at her determination and resilience; she always bounces back no matter how poorly she has been and has kept us all going through the hardest time of our lives. She's a real warrior!”

The hospital has become a second home to Emilia over the past 11 months, her family have made the 35-mile journey from their home hundreds of times, both for routine appointments and unplanned emergency visits.

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READ MORE: Buy a gift to help bring some Christmas sparkle to poorly children at Leeds Children's Hospital.

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Emilia is no stranger to spending the holidays in hospital, she spent Easter day in isolation on the ward away from her little sister Hanna. Although she couldn’t play with the other children, or eat any of the chocolate eggs, the Play Team, with a little help from the Easter bunny, made her stay in hospital a little brighter.

“We can provide things for Emilia at home, but at hospital we are so restricted, which is why charities that have been there for us have been an absolute godsend." Rachael said. 

"When Emilia was in isolation or too poorly to get out of bed, she couldn’t join in with ward activities, but was never excluded. Thanks to donations, the Play Team could always bring some fun and laughter, even on the darkest days. Anything that makes Emilia smile makes our day, it’s sometimes something so simple but it makes such a difference.”

Emilia’s life-saving treatment won’t stop for Christmas, and she will spend hours of the day hooked up to her chemotherapy machine. 

Emilia will continue her daily chemotherapy sessions between home and Leeds Children’s Hospital over the next year. She has had to endure such a lot at her young age, having already faced 7 months of intensive chemotherapy in the Oncology ward and 9 weeks of radiotherapy at St James’s Hospital. Emilia has missed out on so much this year; all sense of normality has gone.

Your donations can help us bring some Christmas sparkle to hundreds of children spending the festive season in hospital, like Emilia.

Donate to our Christmas Appeal today

 

Find out more about how you can support staff and patients at Christmas