September is childhood cancer awareness month #CCAM. A chance to put the spotlight on childhood cancer & raise awareness & support for children & their families impacted by cancer. Over the last year LATCH has assisted in supporting children & families, here in Wales in many ways, including supporting almost 190 children with cancer & their families, helping around 500 family members, provided 462 nights of free accommodation at our hospital family accommodation, distributed over £420,000 worth of grant & comfort payments, as well as expanded our social work team in response to a growing demand for our services.
We would like to thank our fundraisers, volunteers & supporters for your continued support. To assist with raising awareness of CCAM, we would like to tell you Kathryn Pope & her families story.
Towards the end of 2023 Kathryn Pope complained to her parents of stomach pains, feeling sick every time she ate and feeling generally lethargic. The first initial thoughts were this was a standard stomach bug, as Kathryn’s bloods and test results were deemed okay. As time progressed, the realisation this could be something more serious became apparent when Kathryn’s stomach became hard and she developed kidney pain in January 2024.
Mum Jayne, decided to rush Kathryn to A&E, where Kathryn was admitted for further tests. Over the next 36 hours and after numerous tests, it was then confirmed to Kathryn’s parents, that Kathryn did in fact have tumours within her stomach, known as Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a rare type of fast-growing non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)
Jayne and Edward both informed Kathryn of this confusing news, where they were met with questions such as “How long will I be in hospital for? How much will this hurt?” an exceptionally challenging experience for any parent to endure, not fully knowing all the definitive answers.
Kathryn was admitted here, to the Children’s ward (Rainbow ward) 🌈 at the Children’s Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. Over the course of the next 5 months this would become not only Kathryn’s home, but also her parents’ as they stayed in the LATCH accommodation just one floor above where Kathryn was receiving treatment.
Kathryn told us:
“In the beginning I was scared. As time went on, I did begin to get a little bored, I would sit on my iPad or join the play specialists in the playroom. What scared me most was the thought of forgetting people, not seeing my family or my friends. I wasn’t allowed visitors except mum and dad”
Kathryn’s treatment plan had a very high success rate, though was very intense. She was in isolation frequently to prevent infections and would undertake a week of chemotherapy then have a week off, after which she would feel very tired, weak and sick. Due to her immune system being compromised, Kathryn was more prone to infections and unfortunately contracted Klebsiella, a blood infection, which required more antibiotics, as well as 2 lung infections.
Mum Jayne informed us:
“It was tough, there’s no doubt about that, there were some real low moments, but she made some fantastic friends in Mia and Vinnie. The play therapists, nurses and doctors have been angels, they continually assisted in comforting me and my family throughout this difficult period in our lives. LATCH has helped throughout with advice and accommodation. Our social worker Helen has been a pillar of strength for emotional support, and assisting us with forms, keeping us right when we weren’t 100% sure what to do. The LATCH accommodation was a lifeline, both myself and Ed are 20+ years in the armed forces, therefore we could sleep anywhere! Having somewhere comfortable and close, knowing Kathryn was just downstairs made a massive difference to our experience.
Though Kathryn’s treatment has been horrendous, she has been unbelievably brave and positive all throughout, picking up infections along the way. Thankfully, Kathryn’s treatment has worked and she is now cancer free! She got to ring that bell and get discharged from hospital. Kathryn is a genuine inspiration who is looking forward to getting on with her life, reuniting with friends and family”
