Mom branded 'overdramatic' after toddler's leukaemia was dismissed as a 'minor illness'
A 17-month-old girl was diagnosed with leukaemia after doctors dismissed her symptoms as being childhood bugs picked up at daycare and told her mom she was being an 'overdramatic first-time parent'.
Sophie Sparks, 37, spent six weeks desperately seeking medical help after daughter Darcey began fighting repeated infections, soaring temperatures and endless coughs and colds.
But she says Darcey was treated for tonsillitis, given throat spray via the emergency room despite temperatures above 40°C and reassured she was simply picking up common childhood illnesses from nursery.
Her family fought for a second opinion when she never fully recovered between illnesses, her stomach started to swell and she stopped eating - but was this time told she was probably just constipated.
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A doctor later recognised that Darcey looked seriously unwell and arranged an urgent hospital assessment at Queen's Hospital in Essex, UK.
Within 24 hours of doing blood tests, Darcey was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and began chemotherapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital the following day in November 2022.
'We were repeatedly told it was a minor illness'
Mom-of-two Sophie, Rainham, Essex, said: "Darcy had been unwell for around six weeks beforehand. It started with what seemed like normal coughs and colds, so we didn’t think much of it at first.
"The problem was that she never seemed to recover from one illness before the next one started.
"She might have one or two good days, then she’d be poorly again with high temperatures and complete exhaustion. She just wasn’t herself.
"Every time we took her to a doctor, we raised concerns about it, but we were repeatedly told it was a minor illness she probably picked up at nursery or constipation.
“Because we could never get an appointment with our own family doctor, we ended up visiting walk-in centers three times and A&E [the emergency room] once.
"Each time, we were told she was simply building her immune system, that she was young, and that these things were normal and we were just being overdramatic first-time parents.
"She was prescribed antibiotics several times, but nothing seemed to improve.
"We knew in our gut that something wasn’t right. A few weeks in, we noticed her stomach was becoming very swollen.
"Eventually we got a doctor appointment and as soon as the doctor saw her, he was alarmed. She was extremely pale, almost yellow in complexion. He immediately told us to take her straight to A&E.
"Even then, we spent four hours waiting before anyone saw us. They told us she appeared fine at which point I was beside myself and pushed for tests.
"Once blood tests were done, the nurses face changed and told us Darcy was incredibly anaemic. We were told she needed a blood transfusion and would have to stay overnight.
"At around 1am a doctor came to see us and said they’d reviewed her blood results. They didn’t know exactly what was wrong, but they believed she had leukaemia. Within a single day, our whole world had changed.
"Within 48 hours we were at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Darcy was starting chemotherapy."
'It took six weeks to reach that diagnosis'
Darcey underwent two years of treatment and chemotherapy, during which she was in and out of hospital due to the gruelling affects of the treatment.
The battling youngster, now aged five, was eventually told she was cancer free in December 2024 rang bell to mark the milestone.
Sophie, an aviation insurance claims manager, added: "Looking back, it’s hard not to question why it took six weeks to reach that diagnosis.
"I don’t blame individual doctors, but I do think the bigger picture was missed. Doctors see lots of coughs, colds and infections, and I understand that. But they should also listen to parents.
"We kept saying that Darcy didn’t look right, that her stomach was swollen, that she was unusually pale and exhausted. Parents know when their child has changed.
“But once we entered the NHS cancer system, the care was incredible. The teams at Queens and Great Ormond Street were absolutely outstanding and saved.
"Over the next two and a half years, I genuinely couldn’t fault the treatment she received. Darcy underwent around six months of intensive chemotherapy before moving on to an 18-month maintenance phase.
"During that time, we administered chemotherapy at home every day. She also had a port fitted so she could receive treatment, blood transfusions and blood tests more easily.
"Her treatment journey finally came to an end when her port was removed in March 2025. In total, she spent around two and a half years in treatment, including roughly two years of chemotherapy."
'Darcey now tells people she wants to be a doctor'
Darcey started school in September last year and is said to be doing 'brilliantly' and is loving life as a big sister to one-year-old Harry.
Sophie, who is married to husband Jon, 37, added: "Seeing her walk into reception was one of the proudest and most emotional moments of our lives, especially after everything she’d been through.
"When you know you could have lost your child, after all she'd been through, it was really special.
"Darcy has faced every stage of this journey with extraordinary bravery. She’s grown up surrounded by adults because she spent so much time in hospital, and now she tells people she wants to be a doctor.
"When she was three years old, she told nursery staff, ‘I want to be a doctor so I can make people better like they made me better.’
"That was incredibly special to hear and she is loving being a big sister, the novelty certainly hasn't worn off and they love each other."
'It’s always worth getting concerns checked'
Sophie said she wants to speak about the urgent need for greater awareness and research into earlier diagnosis, kinder treatments, preventing relapse and reducing the long-term effects of cancer treatment.
She added: "Chemotherapy is incredibly hard on a child’s growing body - these are adult treatments they are using. There can be long-term effects, which is why Darcy still has regular check-ups.
"The most important thing I would tell parents is to trust your instincts. You know your child better than anyone.
"If they’re unusually tired, pale, developing swellings, or simply don’t seem themselves, keep pushing for answers. Childhood cancer can develop quickly, and early diagnosis saves lives.
"Even if it turns out to be nothing serious, it’s always worth getting concerns checked. Knowing the signs and symptoms, and trusting your gut as a parent, could make all the difference."
According to The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association, some general common childhood cancer symptoms are:
- Feeling very tired and exhausted all of the time and/or noticeable skin paleness
- Having lots of infections (such as ear, throat or chest) that don't go away or keep coming back
- Having flu-like symptoms that don't go away (such as lethargy, high temperature, being sick)
- Unexplained or excessive bleeding such as in urine, poo or when being sick
- Bruising easily or a rash of small red spots on the skin (called 'petechiae')
- Persistent and unexplained sweating or fever especially at night
- Aches and pains that don't go away, especially in the bones, joints, back or legs, and may be worse at night
- Unexplained new limp or leg weakness
- Changes when going for a poo such as constipation, diarrhoea, pain or feeling of not having finished
- Feeling a lump, swelling or unusual firmness anywhere on the body, especially in the abdomen, neck, chest, pelvis or armpits
- Losing a significant and unexplained amount of weight in teenagers
- Slow growth in children
- Change in behaviour such as persistent crying and screaming in young children, sleeping a lot, being off food
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
Topics: Health, Parenting, Breast cancer, NHS, UK News
Niamh Shackleton