Olivia lives in Leeds with her mum Amy, dad Jordan, and younger siblings, twins Benjamin and Charlotte.
On 7th October 2021, Olivia was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoblastic leukaemia, aged just five.
Amy shares their story…
“It was a complete shock. Olivia had woken up with a nosebleed that lasted two hours. We were advised by her GP to go to A&E, by which point it had stopped. She had had daily fevers for three weeks and was lethargic, but her GP said there were no signs of any illness and to see how she went.
The doctor at A&E arranged a blood test after hearing of her leg pains and fevers. Within four hours, she had been diagnosed. A lot of her symptoms could be explained by other reasons, but looking back, she had had symptoms for months and months and because they were so spaced out and gradual, it didn’t occur to me she was so poorly.
I immediately had to go on long-term leave from work as she was admitted to hospital to begin treatment immediately. All the family had to help care for 1-year-old Benjamin and Charlotte, so Jordan could continue working to support the family. I spent days and weeks away from home with Olivia in hospital while she had treatment. She was very unlucky that she got neutropenia and was so poorly every single month, she required admission around all her chemotherapy appointments.
Her treatment lasted two and a half years, and she spent more time at hospital than at home the entire time. Everyone was so scared. We had no certainty about Olivia’s future and just had to hope. She had to have steroids for the first five weeks, then every month as part of her treatment. They gave her so many mood swings, which impacted everyone. We had to navigate hospital trips, sometimes daily, for weeks and for hours at a time, sometimes turning into staying in for a few days. Finding childcare for my other children, it was such a juggle.
After Olivia’s diagnosis, we were admitted to the children’s oncology ward L31, and the next morning, someone from Candlelighters came to introduce themselves to us. I was given an information pack and a bag with some essentials, and they offered for a Support Worker to come play with Olivia so I could leave the ward and contact family, which was so helpful.
Olivia was only five and I didn’t want to leave her alone, so the offer of someone from Candlelighters to come stay with her and play with her to distract her was so useful. Olivia formed a bond with one member of staff called Brittany from Candlelighters, and it made Olivia look forward to going to hospital because she knew she’d see her new friend and get to play games.
Not once did Olivia say she didn’t want to go to hospital because she loved the staff and the entertainment they offered.
She actually looked forward to her hospital stays because she said the staff treated her like a princess.
Candlelighters staff always remembered Olivia and what she liked. They went out of their way to support her with anything they thought would work. Elaine (the Candlelighters Dinner Supervisor) always made Olivia her special-shaped toast, which encouraged her to eat when she really didn’t want to.
They provided us with a Social Worker who sorted out all the paperwork side of things for us and helped us apply for financial help during her treatment. They also sent us on a break to Center Parcs, which everyone really enjoyed and was such a nice break away for us all. The support of even just stocking the parents’ kitchen so I didn’t have to leave the ward to get hot drinks was a godsend. We’ve attended the Candlelighters Christmas party twice now and it’s great, as well as going over to The Square to have a break after her appointments.
Olivia’s school did a fundraising day to raise money for Candlelighters. Although Olivia ended up being admitted to hospital that day, so was unable to take part, it meant a lot to have her school community join in the appreciation for this wonderful cause.
To raise awareness for children’s cancer, I think it’s helpful to make people aware that symptoms can appear months before diagnosis and that not all symptoms appear at the same time. Olivia had night sweats at a totally separate time to her nose bleeds. The symptoms never overlapped and some even went away, so you wouldn’t think it was serious, as most people assume it’s all symptoms occurring together. A simple blood test can offer so much reassurance if multiple symptoms are present.”
Thank you so much to Amy for sharing her family’s story.
Our incredible supporters help us to provide vital emotional, practical and financial support to families just like Olivia’s.
If you’d like to support children with cancer and their families across Yorkshire, you can donate to Candlelighters here.
