A mum is helping families in Alder Hey Children's Hospital after losing her daughter at the age of 11.
Lorraine Wilson knew Milly needed a blood test after she had been unwell. At first, when Milly Walmsley was very tired and pale, Lorraine put it down to starting a new school term.
But as a nurse, she insisted blood tests be done, and Milly was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in November 2014. The family from Blackburn were rushed to hospital and Milly underwent gruelling treatment straight away.
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Being in hospital for several weeks, Milly was given a bone marrow transplant and was told she was in remission. But sadly, it returned and at aged 11, she died in September 2015.
Since then, mum Lorraine has pledged to keep her name alive, and help other struggling families going through similar. She told the ECHO: "She was such a happy, loving girl. She smiled the whole way through her treatment so we set up a charity Milly's smiles.
"We provide a bag for families who arrive in hospital with nothing, like we did, that will help them and show them we understand and we care. It's like a hug in a bag.
"It started off in Manchester and then we helped families in Alder Hey which is an honour. We've been working with Alder Hey since 2018 and have donated hundreds of bags, which is hundreds of children diagnosed with cancer and of course, not everyone survived that.
"We've now expanded to Leeds and we are soon hoping to take on another hospital with the aim of providing for all children's hospitals in the UK, to make a difference for these families."
The care bags contain a blanket, neck pillow, heat pads, a water bottle, a mug with a lid, a notepad and pen, toiletries, a hand knitted elephant to symbolise they will never be forgotten and some sweets.
Lorraine added: "It's a privilege to make a difference in her name. We think every family should be supported across the UK. Looking back, you're more aware of the signs.
"My advice would be if you're concerned is to be persistent. Don't give up or be fobbed off and trust your instincts. So many parents say they have had difficulty getting a diagnosis but as a parent you know when something is wrong."
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