Doctors told the mother that her 3-year-old daughter can no longer see her nursery friends after a suspected water infection turned out to be cancer. When her daughter’s symptoms worsened, after two courses of antibiotics, the mother kept insisting that the child needed to see someone in person. The doctor at the hospital told the mother that he could feel the tumor just by touching the area. “She can’t go to nursery and see her friends at the moment because of her low immunity and she still has a further 27 weeks of chemo to go. Me and her dad just want her to have something to look forward to because all she waits for is the pins and needles she’ll get from her chemo treatment.” the mother reportedly said.
The 30-year-old mother, Hollie Jagger, told The Mirror that her 3-year-old daughter, Poppy Smith, is now facing 27 weeks of exhausting chemotherapy after the 3-year-old girl was diagnosed with wilms tumor (cancer) in her left kidney. In January, Poppy told her mom that she started having stomach pain. The mother also noticed a blood in her daughter’s urine and decided to take the girl to a doctor. But, due to COVID, the doctors were only taking phone appointments. So, Hollie just sent in a urine sample and explained the symptoms over the phone.
The doctor prescribed antibiotics and said the girl most likely had a water infection. Unfortunately, the symptoms persisted, so she was given another course of antibiotics. Hollie kept insisting that her daughter needed to see someone in person.
During an interview with the Mirror, the 30-year-old mom reportedly said: “Poppy went into the doctor’s surgery to do another sample and I remember arguing with the receptionist and saying that she really just needs to see someone. I held up her sample and it was bright red – this couldn’t be normal for any three-year-old to have. After leaving, we got a call asking if Poppy could go in to another doctor’s office because they managed to find someone that would see her. The GP knew straight away it wasn’t a water infection and referred her to hospital. On February 9, we were told Poppy had cancer in her kidney. The doctor at the hospital said that he could feel the tumor just by touching the area.”
The doctors also told the mother that Poppy had to go through an awful four weeks of chemotherapy before she could have the operation to remove the tumor. The unfortunate mom said that the really confusing part for her was when her hair started to fall out. Two months later, the doctors told the family that Poppy’s tumor had shrunk and they were getting ready for the surgery. According to Hollie, doctors told her that the 3-year-old child can’t go to nursery and see her friends because of her low immunity and she still has a further 27 weeks of chemo to go.
The 30-year-old mother also said: “She is always so cheeky and confident – the only ever time she’s not is when she’s been given morphine and in a lot pain, which would be horrible for anyone, let alone a three-year-old. She can’t go to nursery and see her friends at the moment because of her low immunity and she still has a further 27 weeks of chemo to go. Me and her dad just want her to have something to look forward to because all she waits for is the pins and needles she’ll get from her chemo treatment.
She really is so brave, no matter what gets thrown at her. She is still smiling, I’m so proud to call her my daughter. Even though me and her dad aren’t together anymore, we share her care and he is an absolute fantastic father and has been her rock. Also her brothers and sister absolutely adore her.”
Poppy’s family has launched an online fundraiser to raise money for the medical expenses. Hollie also shares regular updates about her daughter’s journey on a Facebook page “Princess Poppy’s Journey.”