Hollie Robinson

"My name is Hollie Robinson Marsh and when I was four I became ill. My mum started to get worried because I was ill and I hadn’t got better. After a week, she took me to the local doctors who said it was just a virus and sent me home.

After a couple of days, nothing had changed so my mum took me back as I was still very lethargic but we were sent home again.

Photo: Hollie during her treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital with Diana, Princess of Wales

When my mum took me back for the final time, she told them to do a blood test and then we went back home.

Less than a couple of hours later, we got a call saying to come back to the doctor and my mum was told to bring someone with her.

When they told my mum that I had leukaemia, she was devastated like the rest of the family but I didn’t really know what was happening.

I was taken from the local doctors to Northwick Park Hospital and then on to Great Ormond Street Hospital so I could have the best treatment.

Within days I had had more blood taken out of me than was probably left inside me. I was given so many injections, probably more than my whole school put together and I still didn’t really know what was happening to me.

When it became harder to get blood out of my veins, they gave me the choice of having a line (a central line) put in or a box (a portacath) put inside me so they’d only have to use one place. I picked to have a box put in so I could still go swimming.

Even though I was ill, I was still very hard to handle. As soon as a doctor came into the room, I would hide under the bed and the doctors would have to come under the bed with me if they wanted to give me injections.

Finally, I was let out of hospital but I had to go back each week for a blood test.

Even though I didn’t enjoy having leukaemia and I wouldn’t want to get it again, me and my family made some lovely friends who we still see today.

The one thing I did miss was school. I loved school and seeing all my friends. When I got ill, I didn’t really want to miss much school but, when I did, all my friends sent me cards and pictures. My teacher was very nice and sent my school work to me.

I have now been in remission for over 10 years. Although they never give you the all clear, everything is going well and I don’t even have to go back until I’m 18 – and that’s four years time."

Photo: Hollie with Chico at the Amazing Great Children's Party

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