Bethany's Wish
This page is dedicated to our beautiful baby girl, Bethany. Bethany was 8 years old and lost her fight to Wilms tumour, a rare childhood cancer of the kidney on the 12/10/12 after a four year battle to beat the odds. Please take a moment to look at our story.
Help us to raise awareness of Wilms tumour and fund vital research into finding a cure. Childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for children, help us create smiles in the darkness, in memory of a beautiful girl with an everlasting smile.
Bethany's Story
Bethany was a happy and healthy child that enjoyed dancing to high school musical songs and who never had any health complaints. When she turned four, her mum had noticed that her tummy appeared to be slightly swollen, but put it down to a healthy appetite and as Bethany did not complain of any pain or discomfort. She had no other symptoms.
When another mother from her school (who's little boy had suffered from a childhood cancer called neuroblastoma) commented on bethany's tummy a few weeks later, we decided to take her to her GP to investigate, thinking it was maybe perhaps an allergy or intolerance. It was then that our world fell apart when she was diagnosed with a stage 3 intermediate risk Wilms tumour (in the right kidney) in April 2009.
To hear that your child has cancer is the single most hardest thing to try and comprehend, you never think it could happen to you.
However, Bethany without complaining and forever with a smile, proceeded to take chemotherapy, a kidney removal and radiotherapy all in her stride, continuing with school and dancing and seeing her friends. In November 2009 all her scans were clear and we hoped and prayed that we could put the awful ordeal in the past and move on.
Unfortunately in April 2011 Bethany relapsed to her remaining left kidney and both lungs. She then underwent a gruelling treatment of stronger chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, radiotherapy and a partial left nephrectomy.
Bethany kept smiling, although she found it tough. She even got to meet her idol Britney Spears! We were able to finally breathe a sigh of relief when she finished treatment in February 2012, without the need for dialysis and thought the future could finally be bright for our family.
In August 2012, after a routine scan we were informed of the worst and most heartbreaking news to date. Bethany's cancer had come back in the left lung and we were told there was nothing more they could do. We refused to give up hope and tried new chemotherapy, consulted doctors around the world and prayed. We thought we would have forever with our baby, we only had 2 1/2 months. Bethany's cancer progressed at such a rate, we were shocked. She could not physically take any more treatment and sadly passed away at home in her mummy's arms and holding her daddy's hand on the 12/10/12.
Bethany's wish, was formed from donations during Bethany's fight. We intend to ensure that her fight was not in vain, that her memory and her smile live on forever. We hope that one day a cure might be found, and that other families suffering from Wilms tumour and other childhood cancers can have some happiness in their lives.
