Meet our Little Stars

Six-year-old Parker, from Poulton-le-Fylde, Blackpool, who is an identical triplet, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2011 when he was four years old. He began an immediate course of chemotherapy treatment and is now in remission.  

His identical triplet brothers, Reiss and Harrison, both undergo regular tests to ensure they are healthy as they each have a 20 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with leukaemia. Parker loves playing Xbox games, building Lego and watching Harry Potter movies. 

His proud mum Tracy says: “All the way through Parker has never complained, nothing seems to faze him. He even helps his brother Harrison who has a mild form of cerebral palsy.”

Just two days after her first birthday, Georgia was diagnosed with a type of kidney cancer, called Wilms' tumour in August 2008.

Her cancer was discovered after mum Ruth noticed a lump when she was blowing raspberries on Georgia’s tummy.  Hospital tests revealed she had a tumour the size of a football, but after six weeks of chemotherapy it shrank to the size of a satsuma.

Georgia then underwent keyhole surgery to remove the tumour followed by six months of chemotherapy.  She also received three blood transfusions, one on Christmas Eve.  

Georgia has now been in remission for more than three years.  Her proud Mum Ruth says: “We feared her first birthday would be her last, but her courage and humour through numerous operations and the chemotherapy was simply inspirational.”

Read Ruth’s blog post about Georgia's story

Amarvir, who lives in Ilford, Essex, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in September 2010 and was so ill at one point it was touch and go whether he would survive. Just before he was diagnosed Amarvir collapsed one morning and was rushed to A&E where doctors realised his vital organs were shutting down one by one. 

His devastated family were told he would have to go on a life support machine or he would die. Twelve hours later they were told Amarvir had leukaemia and if he made it through the next 24 hours he would survive.

“We couldn’t believe what we were hearing,”  recalls Mum Nikki. Amarvir remained in hospital for the next four months but gradually responded well to his intensive chemotherapy treatment.  He is now on maintenance treatment and doing well.

“We never take life for granted anymore,” says Nikki.  “We owe Amarvir’s survival to the incredible advances that have been made in children’s cancer research.”

Four-year-old Bella, from Poole, in Dorset, (pictured with her granddad, Charles) was diagnosed with Clear Cell Sarcoma of the Kidney in June 2010 when she was two-and-a-half. Only around four children are diagnosed with this type of cancer in Britain each year. 

Bella faced three operations – including 10 hours of surgery in which one of her kidneys was removed. A tumour weighing more than a kilogram was discovered during the surgery. 

 Mum Sian recalls: “Before the operation we had effectively said our good byes to Bella, remembering her wonderful laugh and her smile. There were so many risks involved –she could lose the use of her legs even if she did survive. Now I think about that wonderful feeling when the doctor came out to say she was going to be ok.”  

Although she faced gruelling chemotherapy treatment, Bella is now in remission. “It’s wonderful to see her facing challenges in life with the same determination with which she beat cancer,”  adds Sian.