Kathryn’s story: “I want to help Latch support more families and children, like they helped us”

Kathryn Pope is nine years old and lives in Builth Wells in Powys with her mum Jayne, and dad, Ed. She is a confident Harry Potter lover who loves school and enjoys horse riding and swimming. In January 2024, Kathryn was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. She spent five months in the Children’s Hospital in Cardiff receiving intense chemotherapy. Scans now show that the cancer is gone. Kathryn is back at school and is enjoying being a Latch Ambassador to give back to the charity that supported her family while she was going through treatment. 

"I’ve been on TV, in newspapers and on the radio because they picked up my story. One radio station asked me to choose a song. I asked for This is Me from The Greatest Showman. It’s about a strong woman. When I first heard it, before I had my treatment, I didn’t really understand the words. But now I understand it completely.

I feel a lot wiser because I know more about the body and how to take care of it. I think I’m braver as well because now I've experienced what I have, I'm trying to look on the bright side. I'm trying to think, ‘I can't think of anything that would be worse than that’. 

Getting diagnosed 

My tummy started to hurt in October 2023. We thought I just had a tummy bug because that's normally the time for them in my school. Then it carried on for a few weeks and I thought there's probably something wrong with me. I had blood tests at the GP and there was no symptoms of anything.

It got really bad one night and I woke up crying because my back right kidney started to hurt. My parents took me to hospital in Hereford and they put us on the ward for two days. We moved to the Children’s Hospital in Cardiff and they basically said, ‘You've got Burkitt lymphoma’, which is the type of cancer. I was a bit shocked and upset but I wasn't physically really well. I started chemo fairly quickly. Then I got really ill.

It was dramatic in hospital but I think I managed it pretty well. The doctors were really surprised that I already knew what a PICC line and chemotherapy were because I watched [the children’s TV programme Operation Ouch!.

I had a type of food poisoning from the chemo. Then a blood infection. I also had mucositis, which [can affect swallowing, chewing, and speaking and] is just a normal thing you get from chemo, and I caught shingles and a fungal lung infection.

I knew my mum or dad were just upstairs if I really needed them

I was very relieved to know that both of my parents were nearby because of Latch. Only one parent could stay with me on the ward at night. The other one would be upstairs in the Latch accommodation. I knew they were just upstairs if I really needed them. My mum or my dad would put me to sleep one night, and then around 12ish, the other parent would come in from upstairs and they’d swap over.

We met our Latch Social Worker, Helen, early on. She would talk to my mum to help her. She’d help us not have to pay for the mileage when we went to hospital. 

As well as getting better, the hardest part was trying to entertain myself in hospital. But Latch would organise visitors. They organised therapy dogs to come in. My favourite was one called Daisy because if she passed my bed and I said, ‘Daisy!’, she would literally jump on my bed and lie on me. That would help me to relax because, sometimes, it was really scary.

Latch organised for a professional balloon guy to come in and he made me Dobby and Hedwig from Harry Potter which was brilliant. Menai, the CEO of Latch, would come and listen to me read in Welsh which helped me because I’m a Welsh speaker and I didn’t want to miss out on doing my Welsh at school.

Leaving hospital

After my chemo, I had a scan and found out the cancer was gone. I was really relieved. When I knew I still had cancer, I’d thought ‘I'm going to get ill more easily now’. So it was frightening. But when I knew I didn't have cancer, I wasn't as afraid. I knew that if I had a temperature at some point, I wouldn't have to come into hospital. 

Helen introduced me to a new play therapist who comes to my house or school. We play together and I talk about my feelings. It makes me more relaxed about everything. 

I got really scared at one point when I was in hospital because I suddenly just thought, ‘What happens if I don't catch up at school? What happens if I have to stay in the year below? What happens if no one remembers me?’ But my mum was like, ‘What are you talking about? Everyone's going to remember you. No one could forget you.’

Fundraising for Latch

We’re still involved with Latch. They tell you about different trips for any family who has gone through treatment. Helen told us about a trip to West Midlands Safari Park which was really fun. And in a few weeks, I’m going to the Harry Potter studios which I am really excited about.

I started to raise money for Latch when I became an ambassador. I do different things each month to raise money. I’ve just done a month without eating sugar which is actually easier than it sounds.  We’re going to try to walk up Pen Y Fan when I’m stronger and Garth Hill which is near me. We’re also going to raffle off a bilingual Welsh board game, getting famous Welsh people to sign it. We’ve already raised more than £1,000. I just want to raise as much as possible for Latch.

I hope I don’t get ill again and basically just want to be healthy and happy. I think I want to work in a hospital when I’m older. I hope that Latch help more families get better.”