A 2024 to remember for Abigail

This year she’s been celebrating by climbing peaks, flying down zipwires and even representing the North East in trials for the England Lionesses hockey team.

 

But then 13-year-old Abigail and her family from Doncaster did have a big reason for celebration.

2024 marked five years since Abigail rang the bell at Sheffield Children’s to signal her being clear of leukaemia.

 

On a Friday night in 2018, then five-year-old Abigail was ready to go to her weekly drama club when she felt unwell. A blood test at a local hospital showed she had low red and white blood cells and Abigail was referred to Sheffield Children’s for investigations. Here, a bone marrow aspirate confirmed she had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL).

 

ALL is a rare type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, and is most common in children and young people. It can develop quickly, so receiving the right care quickly was important for Abigail.

 

She was treated with chemotherapy for over two years. The first eight months were intensive with frequent visits to Sheffield Children’s, but the remainder was what’s known as ‘maintenance chemotherapy’ where Abigail only came into hospital once a month and had further blood tests at home in between appointments.

 

Abigail is now five years clear, but she still visits Sheffield Children’s for annual check ups.

 

And what better way to celebrate than pushing herself with five extreme challenges. This began with an early wake up call to catch the sunrise at the top of Mam Tor near Castleton, before heading to Wales for challenges two and three; a speedy trip down a zip line followed by another climb around the Great Orme near Llandudno. Back to England for number four and it was time for Muddy 5K run with friends as Abigail prepared for her fifth challenge as she was chosen to go to the North East England Lionesses hockey trials.

 

Her dad, Stuart said: “Abigail has always been so tenacious and gritted. She showed that in the five challenges and when staying at Sheffield Children’s. She was just five and had to deal with it – but she has that bit of fire. She was very mature about it and spoke to all the adults looking after her.

 

“At one point Abigail was given a wheelchair, we didn’t really want it but there wasn’t much choice for her at the time. Abigail was just ‘Let’s carry on.’ We went to the shop down the road and had ice creams in the park – that’s her in a nutshell.”

 

Looking back on her care at Sheffield Children’s Abigail said: “I was very young and I don’t have too many clear memories. But I remember a sense of feeling safe and being looked after. Everyone was so kind, from the staff on the ward to the team at Young Lives vs Cancer. I was in Year One at school when I started chemotherapy and then Year Three by the time I finished, a teacher used to come in and help me keep up to date as much as possible.

 

“Some of the things I remember are really strange; the banana flavouring and smells of medicines. There were lots of needles and the magic milk for operations – one was for a portacath and another one on my back.”

 

Abigail also has a scrapbook from her time at Sheffield Children’s, which is filled with bravery certificates, and a bead collection representing all the treatments she was given during her recovery.

 

Since ringing the bell, Abigail has thrown herself into fundraising for The Children’s Hospital Charity – creating the first ever Tri-Abby-Thon and then taking on her series of 2024 challenges.

 

Thank you so much for sharing your story Abigail, and we can’t wait to see what you get up to in 2025!