Matilda the Brave: Castleford family share their story following tot's acute lymphoblastic leukaemia diagnosis

Matilda Turner was diagnosed with Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a type of blood cancer, in February last year, when she was just three years old.

After noticing uncommon symptoms, including paleness, exhaustion and a swollen stomach, Matilda’s parents Hannah and Oliver, took her to the doctors.

Within 30 hours from taking her to see her GP, Matilda was diagnosed with Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, received a general anaesthetic, started chemotherapy treatment, and began steroids.

Matilda’s mum Hannah said: "From the moment that Matilda was diagnosed, our world seemed to stop spinning whilst the world around us just carried on.

"Our daughter’s diagnosis all happened so quickly, which has been incredibly hard to process, and we barely had time to process what was happening before we were thrown into the world of cancer.

"I’ve always been scared of the word cancer but if anything, the past 17 months have taught me just how resilient children are – especially Matilda.”

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells and is the most common childhood cancer, with around 400 children in the UK diagnosed every year.

Whilst over 90 per cent of Acute lymphoblastic childhood leukaemia cases can now be successfully treated – with survival for five years or more - treatment is long and gruelling,

Matilda has been battling Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia for 17 months to-date and is due to finish her treatment in April 2024.

Hannah said: “Since her diagnosis, Matilda has developed a new nickname: ‘Matilda the Brave’.

"She has been through so much, including 561 doses of chemotherapy, 432 blood tests and two port removal surgeries, and much more, and we’re incredibly proud of how strong she’s been.

“Matilda has recently had her first day at school and continues to fight, show strength, resilience, kindness and love, all whilst showing her infectious and beautiful smile.

"We’re sharing our story in the hope that it raises awareness and the understanding of childhood cancer, and highlights the importance of new scientific research to help beat this devastating disease.”

Children with Cancer UK is one of the leading national children’s charities working towards a world where every child survives cancer.

Jo Elvin, CEO at Children with Cancer UK, said: “We’d like to thank Matilda’s family for sharing their inspirational story, and helping us to increase understanding of the disease, and the profound impact it can have on young people and their families.

“As a charity, our mission is to increase awareness and understanding of childhood cancer and fund vital scientific research into better and kinder treatments. Thanks to the efforts of our supporters and fundraisers, this vital work can continue and help to create brighter futures for young cancer patients just like Matilda.”

Survival rates for children’s cancers are improving.

Fifty years ago, three-quarters of children diagnosed with cancer died; today more than eight in 10 children diagnosed with cancer in the UK survive.

However, around 4,200 children and young adults are diagnosed with cancer each year in the UK, and cancer is one of the leading causes of death for young people.

For more information about Children with Cancer UK, visit www.childrenwithcancer.org.uk.