12 February 2024 , 09:57
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A schoolgirl was "screaming in agony" with leg pains initially diagnosed as a muscle problem after her mum took her to the GP thinking it was a strain.
With her daughter in continued agony, Seirian Richards and her mum Amanda then went to A&E, where they were told the problem could be a virus and to continue with pain relief. However, when there was no improvement, blood tests were ordered. Within two hours, Amanda received an urgent call telling her to get to the hospital for further tests.
Amanda, from Wrexham, said: "She was very sporty so we thought we pulled a muscle as she'd been doing the splits. But it got worse and Calpol wasn't touching it, she was screaming in agony. On Monday she was off school so we took her back to the doctor, he did blood tests at 2pm and by 4pm I got a phone call to get to hospital for further tests." In October 2022, Seirian was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia aged seven, at her local hospital in Wrexham, before being transferred to Alder Hey for immediate treatment.
Amanda told the Liverpool Echo: "He was a wonderful doctor, I think it was his experience, he had an inkling something was going on. It was a whirlwind from there, we were sent to Alder Hey. They don't mess around, they do things very quickly. But her prognosis is good, we have had a lot of complications along the way."
Seirian, now 8, suffered a stroke from the drugs given to her during treatment (Amanda Richards)Now eight years old, Seirian still has another year of treatment. Her mum, Amanda, shared: "In November 2022 she suffered a stroke because of the drugs but in January 2023 she was put forward for immunotherapy. We're now going through all the cycles of chemotherapy until the end of her treatment. But with her weak immune system, she's prone to infections which can be more serious and she's been quite poorly," Amanda added.
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Amanda also warned other parents about childhood cancer, saying: "Childhood cancer is often overlooked, it's not automatically tested for but don't hesitate to push for the tests and ask for bloods to be done. And don't Google things, Google is not your friend."
She urged parents to be vigilant and push for answers if they feel something isn't right with their child. She said: "We had two weeks of back and forth but she clearly wasn't right. A full blood count doesn't take much. There are certain symptoms like joint pain, low grade temperature that is unexplained, but if doctors did a simple blood test, things could be ruled out. There does need to be more funding too, immunotherapy is the future but it's expensive.
"It shouldn't come down to a cost, it should come down to treating a child with as gentle drugs as possible. The side effects are awful, we suffered a stroke and she needs a wheelchair sometimes." she added.
Amanda also highlighted the need for more financial support for families, saying: "Parents have to give up work. We are lucky we are only an hour away but the little things add up when you travel regularly."
Friends of Seirian's family have rallied round with support. Read how you can help with fundraiser for Seirian