20 November 2023 , 11:13
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A schoolgirl who bumped her leg on a trampoline was diagnosed with bone cancer just weeks later after the chance incident led to doctors checking the swelling and finding a tumour.
Poppy Vanner slipped and banged her leg on the ladder at her home in Crewe, causing swelling beneath the knee that was so bad her parents took her to medics. But when the swelling didn’t go down, further tests showed she had osteosarcoma and the 11-year-old will now start chemotherapy treatment.
But the brave youngster isn’t letting the devastating diagnosis get her down. Instead, she’s named the tumour “Larry the Lump and Loser” and has even overcome extreme pain to lead an eight mile walk to raise awareness and funding for others fighting the disease.
Valiant Poppy led a walk to raise awareness of blood cancer (Pete Stonier / CheshireLive WS)Poppy's proud dad Colin told CheshireLive: "Poppy is a very very brave young girl. The tumour has caused her to become wheelchair bound and she has been in severe pain for many weeks and months. She just wants to be better and to just be able to walk. She wants to be able to sing and dance in her bedroom and to walk to the shop and she'll be able to soon."
After the diagnosis on October 9, Poppy began preparing for treatment and is starting chemotherapy at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool today (November 20). It will take about eight months and will see her lose her hair as she battles the illness,
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
Colin added: “Poppy wants to share her story to help other people going through this, so they know they are not alone. We want to say to people that, if you hurt yourself and you are worried and maybe think it's unusual at all then always get it checked out as sometimes it can be more serious. Then you can get the treatment you need."