Sheffield Children’s Hospital: Care praised by mum as daughter, six, battles lymphoblastic leukaemia

It was just two weeks before her sixth birthday and Heidi’s mum, Lucy, noticed purple spots on her back whilst enjoying a day out with friends at Gulliver’s Valley on a sunny Monday during the summer school holidays. That evening, Lucy and Ryan, Heidi’s dad, made the decision to visit the A&E department at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

With advice to get further tests, Heidi and her family returned home to Handsworth, Sheffield, where Heidi continued to appear her usual healthy and cheerful self despite the spots.

But over the next few days, rashes started to appear on Heidi’s neck. As a midwife, Lucy knew there was something wrong so persevered with her worry over Heidi’s purple spots, which was confirmed when her friend’s mum, a nurse, advised urgent care.

Heidi was admitted to Sheffield Children’s Hospital on the Saturday, after an Emergency Department consultant there immediately and expertly recognised her symptoms. As soon as the nurse put the canula in Heidi’s arm, her parents knew she wouldn’t be going home that evening.

By Monday, Heidi’s bone marrow test confirmed a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Just 24 hours after her diagnosis and eight days after spotting the first signs, Heidi began intensive chemotherapy to save her life.

With treatment quickly taking its toll, Heidi and her family say that they went through the worst eight weeks of their lives as she became very ill, spending her sixth birthday on the sofa surrounded by friends and family.

Her mum Lucy took six months off work to care for Heidi, with Ryan only being able to take the first few weeks of Heidi’s treatment off, working full time as a farmer.

For the last eight months, since her diagnosis, Heidi has been treated with chemotherapy in blocks, and has also had regular visits to the operating theatre as part of her treatment. She has also suffered from physical and emotional changes, including hair loss, lethargy, mobility issues, speech problems and weight loss.

But her family says that under the care of the staff at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. Heidi is supported by Ward Six (the ward for children and teenagers with cancer and blood disorders), the ear, nose and throat (ENT) team, speech and language therapists, dieticians, physiotherapists and dentists.

And officials at the hospital say Heidi has been incredibly resilient and brave, now embracing her hair loss with pride amongst a community of people she’s met on Ward Six at Sheffield Children’s as she’s not the only little girl with no hair anymore.

Heidi’s latest tests show that the treatment is working – but the battle doesn’t stop there. As Heidi is classed as ‘intermediate-high risk’ due to her genetics, her treatment will continue for another two years, with constant monitoring of her health during and after that time.

As a thank you gesture to the Sheffield Children’s Hospital, whose staff grateful mum Lucy is keen to praise, Lucy and some of her fellow midwives at Rotherham Hospital are tackling The Children’s Hospital Charity’s Yorkshire Three Peaks on July 22, 2023. Team Heidi has already begun training, with Ryan and Heidi’s big brother Liam, also joining in to support the team. Team Heidi is aiming high, and they are hoping to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks in a time of under 12 hours.

Lucy said: “We want to give back as much as we can to Sheffield Children’s. I’m always up for a challenge so I’m ready to take on the Yorkshire Three Peaks for such a good cause.

“Heidi’s a strong little girl and won’t give up even in the hardest times when she’s feeling poorly from treatment – she knows she has to be poorly to get better. She talks about her leukaemia in such a practical way and is always wanting to learn about her own care and treatment.

“Heidi loves being on Ward Six; the staff and playroom make the experience so much better especially in difficult times. Sheffield Children’s is a brilliant community of healthcare professionals and families. Without the support of wonderful families in similar situations, we wouldn’t know how to cope. We meet people from all walks of life in similar positions to us, all with a collective understanding of trying to navigate this horrible journey.

“We know Heidi will get better and even though she goes through so much, her prognosis is positive. We know the risk of relapse is always going to be there, but we’re thankful for her journey so far. You can’t put a value on a child’s life, and we’ll never stop fundraising as a thank you to everyone who’s supported us so far!”

To donate to Team Heidi’s Yorkshire Three Peaks page, visit https://events.tchc.org.uk/fundraisers/TeamHeidi.

Officials at the Children’s Hospital Charity say its work changes lives every day.

The money they raise supports specialist treatment from head to toe, by funding life-saving equipment, new facilities, a comfortable environment and vital research, which changes paediatric care for thousands of children from across the world.

The Charity helps to ensure the team at Sheffield Children’s Hospital has exactly what they want, when they need it, to deliver the best possible care for patients.

To find out more about The Children’s Hospital Charity and its work supporting Sheffield Children’s Hospital, you can log onto the website: www.tchc.org.uk