Girl, 11, who survived cancer, says she now wants to become a doctor to help ... trends now
Pippa Vickers was five when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
She survived and, now aged 11, is planning to become a doctor to help children like her.
It took years for her to get well – years filled with rounds of chemotherapy and emergency dashes to hospital every time she had a fever.
But with the support of her loving family, Pippa is back to full strength and focusing on her dream of becoming a doctor to help continue the work of Cancer Research.
Pippa, 11, was five when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. She now wants to become a doctor to help others
Most of the 1,800 or so children in the UK who each year develop cancer are treated with long-standing therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy
Information on how to donate to the Mail's children with cancer appeal can be found in the image above
This week, the Mail launched a major campaign with Cancer Research UK to raise money for children and young people with cancer.
And, below, Labour’s health spokesman Wes Streeting gives his backing to the Fighting to Beat Children’s Cancer appeal.
Pippa’s mother Laura, 38, from Guildford, Surrey, said that in the months leading up to her daughter’s diagnosis, the family was sent from pillar to post trying to find out what was wrong as her symptoms worsened and she struggled to walk or even sit up.
She added: ‘Before Pippa had the diagnosis, you read about it or see it on TV and you think, “That’s really sad, that poor child.” And you never think it will be you.’
Pippa was sent for intensive chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital while her mother and father, Thomas, juggled her care with looking after her younger twin sisters.
Her hair fell out, but her mother and sisters cut their hair too so she felt less alone.
There was a period when the family lived in constant fear, Mrs Vickers recalled: ‘I remember there was one holiday at Center Parcs in Luton when Pippa’s temperature went up. We had to take an ambulance straight back to our local hospital.’
But after a few setbacks, Pippa is in remission and is at school and playing hockey with her friends.
Her mother said: ‘It’s pushed her to want to be a doctor herself. Being a doctor would allow her to find more treatments. She wished there was a treatment that didn’t mean you lost your hair.’
Mrs Vickers added that without Cancer Research, she does not know if Pippa would be where she is today.
‘You give money, you donate, but you don’t realise how much of a difference it makes to people like me,’ she explained. ‘Pippa’s treatment was on a trial and that was only possible because a person donated money for the trial a few years ago.’
The Mail is asking generous readers to give what they can to the appeal to help turn the tables on cancer, which is the leading cause of death by disease in youngsters.
WES STREETING: I'm proud to support the Daily Mail's Cancer Research UK campaign after the wonderful NHS surgeons and nurses helped me to beat cancer, and I never had to worry about the bill
BY WES STREETING SHADOW HEALTH SECRETARY for THE DAILY MAIL
