Tot who spent months in hospital with cancer gets home for Christmas

A toddler who spent months in hospital for cancer treatment has finally been discharged in time to spend a special Christmas with her family.

Hope, who is just 23 months old, was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer called myelodysplasia in October 2020 after she developed a suspicious rash.

The little girl, from South Queensferry, underwent ten surgeries, 19 blood and platelet transfusions and fought off sepsis.

Her first steps were even in a hospital ward, but after months of treatment, her family finally got the results they were hoping for.

Hospital staff formed a guard of honour for Hope as she rang the bell that all parents of children with cancer want to hear.

The child’s mum, Kirsty Wilkie, told STV News how she first worried that something was wrong after spotting the rash on her daughter’s neck.

She said: “When she was about six months old, we noticed that she had a blood spot rash on the back of her neck which wasn’t going away.

“We took her to the doctor and they, first of all, said it was just a viral thing.

‘We took her to A＆E and they said her platelets are low, but it’s just a viral thing don’t worry.

‘It didn’t go away, so we went back again.”

After further tests, Hope was diagnosed with myelodysplasia. Her parents say the pandemic made the situation even harder.

Kirsty said: “Hope is high risk as well, so we were shielding and when we got that news we didn’t really have the same support that we would have normally because of Covid.”

As Hope’s family celebrate her winning her battle, they are encouraging other people to give blood over the festive season to help other patients like their daughter.

Her parents are looking forward to the tot’s first proper Christmas at home with her family.

Kirsty said: “We are really enjoying being at home.

“Hope is definitely benefiting from it as well and just being able to see all her friends and family and we are looking forward to having Santa coming to visit.”