Sophie had just turned 9 when she was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma in September 2020. During her treatment, she endured 9 rounds of intense chemotherapy and 7 weeks of radiotherapy.
Sophie never managed to get into remission and in June 2021, after only eight weeks on a programme of maintenance chemotherapy, she relapsed. With no treatment options left Sophie passed away aged 10, in September 2021, just 1 year after her diagnosis.
Sophie wanted the following things changed and this will be her legacy in memory of a remarkable young girl who touched so many lives.
During Sophie’s many hospital stays, we came to understand the vital role play specialists play on children’s hospital wards.
Sophie was passionate about improving hospital food for children. She described it as “disgusting”—a powerful statement from a child who genuinely loved food.
Feeding parents of children in hospital was one of Sophie’s top priorities. She never understood why a parent staying with their sick child wasn’t also provided a meal.
Childhood cancer is the number one cause of death by disease in children under 15, yet there are no dedicated training courses on paediatric cancer for health professionals.
Childhood cancers are rarely linked to lifestyle or environmental factors, yet this area continues to receive the least amount of funding and research attention.
