Poppy's Hope and Happiness Fund
Poppy’s Hope and Happiness Fund was set up by Claire and Ross, Poppy's parents after their nine-year-old daughter was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma in 2020 at just four years old. Poppy is now an active and happy child, who loves climbing, animals, drama and being outdoors.
Poppy's story
Poppy was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and just weeks after the arrival of her baby brother.
Initially it was thought that Poppy’s symptoms, including lack of appetite, complaints of leg pain and clinginess were due to the huge changes brought on by the pandemic and having a new addition to the family. However, after Poppy became more ill, a consultation with the GP and blood tests at Bedford hospital hinted at something more sinister. A chest X-Ray finally revealed a tumour in Poppy’s chest cavity, wrapping around her heart and pushing against her lung. This was later confirmed to be neuroblastoma.
Poppy underwent 14 rounds of chemotherapy achieving a partial response. Unfortunately this was not enough to move onto the next stage of frontline treatment, and her disease became labelled as ‘refractory’. She was enrolled onto the MiNivAn clinical trial at UCLH and Southampton Hospital with the hope of clearing even more of the cancer cells.
Poppy responded well to the trial, which reduced 33 spots of disease down to just three.
“Clinical trials are so important to move cancer treatment forward. Chemotherapy is not always the answer for every child. The Minivan trial helped Poppy move from 33 spots down to just 3, with no chemotherapy involved” - Claire, Poppy’s Mum
Once she completed the trial, Poppy went back onto the standard frontline treatment path and had surgery, high-dose chemotherapy with stem-cell rescue, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. In December 2022, end-of-treatment scans showed that Poppy had 'no evidence of active disease'.
“There were times when we struggled to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so when Poppy was able to ring the bell after two and a half years of treatment, it felt like a dream come true.
Claire, Poppy's mum
However, being thrown back into the real world has not been easy. Poppy’s whole family have all had to deal with the psychological effects of childhood cancer. Poppy now wears hearing aids and walks on her tip-toes due to the effects of the strong chemotherapy drugs she had.
She is also still trying to catch up on school work as she missed so much schooling and has had play therapy to help with her well-being. She has always remained a very friendly and confident child despite everything.
Poppy’s Legacy
Funds raised through Poppy's Hope and Happiness fund with Solving Kids’ Cancer UK will go towards Solving Kids’ Cancer UK’s key charitable activities; funding research; providing education, advocacy, and support; and providing pastoral funds to families we support and supporting those fundraising for access to treatment.
"Despite all these late effects, we’re still beyond grateful to have Poppy here with us. We never take a day for granted. Through raising money for Solving Kids Cancer UK we hope that we can help continue their fantastic work in supporting families like ours and moving research forward to create a brighter future for children with neuroblastoma"
Claire, Poppy's mum
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Terms and conditions
Funds raised through Poppy's Hope and Happiness Fund are designated to the areas of spend chosen by the family and are currently designated to the funding of research grants, research-related activities of the charity in accordance with Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) guidelines; providing education, advocacy and support; providing pastoral funds to families we support and supporting those fundraising for access to treatment.
Donations and comments
Natalie Abrams£10.00
Donated on: 12th December 2024