Doncaster teen completes five goals to mark cancer

Teen's five star challenge marks cancer recovery A South Yorkshire teenager has marked being cancer-free for five years by completing five challenges to help inspire others.

Abigail Laidlaw, 13, from Doncaster, was five when she was diagnosed with leukaemia and was discharged by the Sheffield Children's Hospital aged eight after chemotherapy.

Five years later, she embarked on five physical goals including early morning hikes and being selected for a regional hockey team.

Abigail said she took on the challenges to show current young cancer patients that "there are positive things ahead for you to achieve and to look forward to".

The first challenge for Abigail, a keen hockey player, was to push herself in her sporting life and be chosen to train with the North East England team.

Two further challenges were ticked off while on a holiday trip - walking the Great Orme headland near Llandudno and completing a zip wire challenge in the mountains of North Wales.

Describing the moment Abigail was first diagnosed, Jo, her mother, said: "We first noticed something wasn't right when she started looking very pale and was struggling to keep up with her sisters.

"She had started to complain that her legs were hurting her all the time."

She continued: "We went to the doctors who suspected glandular fever, however blood tests taken that day confirmed it was leukaemia."

While Jo recalled her daughter being "so weak and sick" during treatment, Abigail remembers very little.

"I remember the smell of the hospital, the cleaning wipes and the disinfectant," she said.

For Stuart, her father, seeing his daughter ringing the bell to signify that she was cancer free and able to leave hospital was an "emotional moment".

"We thought, she's actually beaten this," he said.

"We still had the 'what ifs' in the back of our mind but it was a huge celebration."

Abigail said she missed seeing friends, going to acting classes and playing sport while in hospital, with the teenager now determined to enjoy her freedom and challenge herself.

A 5k Tough Mudder run and a family hike up the Peak District's Mam Tor at sunrise rounded off her five celebration challenges, although Abigail admitted "getting up at three in the morning for Mam Tor was tough".

Now settled back into a routine at home and school, Abigail said she just "wants to be a normal kid again".

Discussing the support Abigail and her two younger sisters were given during treatment, Jo said: "The Young Lives vs Cancer social worker worked through emotions with the girls and it was amazing for them all to have the support to talk to someone who wasn't mum or dad about their fears."

Rachel Kirby-Rider, Young Lives vs Cancer chief executive, said: "Today, 12 more children and young people like Abigail in the UK will hear the devastating news that they have cancer.

"Children can often feel isolated and we need to ensure they are being given the right support they need for their mental wellbeing during and after treatment."