Charlotte Hutchinson

“Friday 11th August 2006 is a day that will stick in my mind forever. Charlotte, then 13, went to the GP for a full blood test as she had been unwell for about the past 2 to 3 weeks.

It was quite a normal Friday, until the consultant haematologist rang and said there were abnormalities in Charlotte’s blood and could we take her straight down to East Surrey hospital.

Photo: Charlotte, award-winning Horley Town Girls player, before her diagnosis

We were there within the half hour and Charlotte was examined by a doctor and asked loads of questions etc. She had yet more blood taken and then, at 10.30, we heard the awful words that no parent ever wants to hear.

We were taken into a small, unventilated, windowless room and asked to sit down. That sinking feeling filled me. I knew we were to be told bad news. 'Charlotte is very poorly and has got childhood leukaemia' are about the only words I remember hearing.

Obviously we did ask some questions - the normal ones. 'Will my child get better?' etc. But it was difficult to focus on anything.

Questions like ‘Why Charlotte?’, ‘Why my child?’ were all that occupied my very muddled mind.

The time came for us to go back to see Charlotte, who we had left with our older daughter Harriet (15). They both knew something was seriously wrong - we had been gone ages and came back very red eyed.

The Doctor and nurse were both extremely kind and sensitive. They sat down to tell Charlotte what was the matter. Lots of tears followed.

The word cancer, hits you in the stomach like a brick.

We were told that she needed to be treated in a specialist cancer hospital and would be transferred to The Royal Marsden hospital.

That night Charlotte was given a platelet transfusion and blood. We did not get a lot of sleep that night – just lots more tears.

Less than 24 hours since Charlotte had had the initial blood test, she was in an ambulance going up to The Royal Marsden - blue light flashing. She was diagnosed later that day with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

The hardest thing to comprehend at the time was that she had been a normal teenager the day before.

She is a very sporty girl and is in all the school teams and plays football for a local league team. Now here she was wired up to drips and fighting for her life.

Her words to one of the doctors that first day at the Marsden were very poignant. 'I am now running the race of my life, and I will win.' What fighting talk that was and that is how she has handled each day since.

She insisted our family life must continue as normal, or 'we would be giving in to cancer.'

9 months into our 2 years of treatment and Charlotte has only missed a handful of days off school, mainly treatment days, though when she has spiked a temperature, she has been hospitalised.

She is so determined that life goes on as normal. Even when her mouth is so full of ulcers and she can hardy swallow, she still gets up and, as she says, fights the cancer.

Charlotte has suffered from terrible muscle and leg pain from the intensive chemo drugs, but still drags herself to school so she is not giving in to the cancer.

She truly is an inspiration to all and her grit and determination get her through each day.

Yes, she does have some down moments, but these are short lived and she is determined that she will live life to the full each day.

We have all learnt a new language of blood terminology and drug names, but the support we have had from family, friends and the medical profession has been brilliant in getting us through each day. Charlotte’s school has been so supportive to both her and her sister.

It seems a long time since that dark August night - and the end of the treatment still seems a long way in the distance.

But we are truly thankful to the support we have been given. If Charlotte’s story can be an inspiration to others, we feel we will have helped."

'Beating it' is how Charlotte ends each day - a remarkable girl. I know I am biased as her mother, but she truly is an inspiration.”

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