A Croydon mum received the worst shock of her life when her four-year-old daughter's stomach aches turned out to be a rare form of cancer. Brodie Burgess was seen by three doctors who could not determine the source of the issue before she was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma after a scan at Great Ormond Street Hospital showed up a 10cm tumour in 2019.
She subsequently spent eight months in a specialist children's hospital where she underwent chemotherapy, with 35-year-old mum Cherie Burgess telling MyLondon: "It was scary because her cancer was so aggressive. We didn't know if she was gonna make it or not.
"All of a sudden she had this lump on her pelvis. You hear about these things happening, but you never imagine it’ll be your child.
"We were stuck in the hospital. We weren't able to see many friends and family."
Even though she lost all of her hair, Brodie remained bubbly and cheerful and kept the nurses entertained. "She handled it really well," Cherie added. "We could hardly keep her in bed!
"Whenever she was well enough she was running around the hospital, dancing with the nurses and doing their make-up. Everybody just loved her."
The NHS organised taxis to take her to and from the hospital, as her immune system was too weak for her to use public transport. Cherie also continued to school Brodie during her time in the ward, which saw her miss the whole of her reception year and most of Year One.
Thankfully, Brodie's treatment was successful and, now, aged seven, she has been in remission for two years. Her mum knows the condition could return but she has check-ups at hospital every year.
After her treatment, Brodie was referred to the charity Make-A-Wish UK and she simply asked for "toys" as her wish. "She’s a girly girl, who loves princesses and ponies," Cherie smiled. "She loves playdough too and would create all sorts of shapes during her treatment. I just wanted her to go wild in a toy store and to feel special - she really deserves it."
Make-A-Wish say that more than 50 children are still waiting for their wishes to be granted and Cherie is hoping that people help the charity by making donations. "I think more people should be supporting them because these children deserve it so much," she said. "They go through so much and some of them don't even get their wish in time."
Jason Suckley, chief executive at Make-A-Wish UK, added: "When a child like Brodie is diagnosed with a critical condition, the joy of childhood is brought to an abrupt end with treatment plans, appointments and worry taking over. The power of a wish – in this case, being able to go wild in a toy store - revives a childhood stolen by critical illness, by giving Brodie the chance to feel every bit as special as she truly is.
"With 503 children waiting for their wish across the UK, we need to raise £1.2 million to clear the Wish Map by World Wish Day on April 29th. Critically ill children and their families have been waiting long enough. By donating today you have the power to light up the darkness for more children like Brodie."
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