Little girl’s ‘purple spots’ turned out to be sign of cancer
A mum has shared how the purple spots her baby was born with turned out to be signs of two types of cancer.
Kerri Paton's daughter, Amelia Topa, now six, arrived weighing a healthy 6lbs 12oz before doctors noticed her body was covered with pale purple spots.
The family were told it could simply be birthmarks, a liver problem or blueberry muffin syndrome - the descriptive term used for an infant born with multiple blue/purple marks or nodules in the skin - which can be linked to leukaemia.
Following an ultrasound, lumbar puncture and MRI, her parents mum Kerri, 27, and dad Igor Topa, 28, were told their daughter had two types of cancer - cute lymphoblastic leukaemia and acute myeloid leukaemia.
At just three weeks old Amelia started chemotherapy, followed by a bone marrow transplant and after eight months of treatment the family were given the happy news that their daughter was in remission.
Sadly, however, just six months later, doctors revealed Amelia had relapsed in acute myeloid leukaemia.
She underwent chemotherapy again and a stem cell transplant - from an umbilical cord from the US.
Incredibly, following her second lot of treatment Amelia has now been in remission for the last five years with her parents describing their daughter as "absolutely amazing".
Kerri, a supermarket worker, from Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, met her partner Igor, a CNC operator, in February 2017 and the pair were shocked to discover Kerri was pregnant with their first child just four weeks later.
Kerri had a normal pregnancy and Amelia was born naturally on November 27, 2017 at 7.25pm, but doctors immediately noticed something wasn't quite right.
Recalling the moments immediately after Amelia's birth Kerri, explains: "Once she was in my arms I just cried. I was so happy.
"I didn't notice anything unusual," she continues. "But the midwife noticed the spots all over her and went to get a doctor.
"I was told it could be one of three things. It could be birthmarks, something wrong with her liver or blueberry muffin syndrome which could be linked to leukaemia."
Unsurprisingly, the news was upsetting but it didn't compare to being told their daughter had two types of cancer, which Kerri describes as "awful".
Amelia started on chemotherapy to tackle the acute myeloid leukaemia.
"She was so little and tormented and going purple from crying," Kerri recalls.
"After the first round of chemotherapy the lumps and spots were gone."
Amelia had a bone marrow transplant in June 2018 and was told she was cancer-free at eight months old.
The family had hoped to find some normality after welcoming their second child, Oscar, now five, in October 2018.
But in February 2019, after a routine check up, Kerri was told Amelia's cancer had returned.
"Igor was on the way with Amelia and I had a phone call to say 'I think best you come in as well'," she explains.
"I just knew it had come back."
Doctors were able to find treatment for Amelia and she underwent three rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in June 2019.
"Watching your kid sick - it was horrible," Kerri says of her daughter's cancer journey.
"Thankfully, it [the transplant] went smooth sailing."
Incredibly, Amelia pulled through and is now a happy and healthy six-year-old.
"She's slightly delayed," her mum explains. "She's slightly delayed in her speech.
"But she's just so funny.
"She's fiercely independent. She's very strong-willed.
"We got quite lucky that she was so young. She's so young she won't remember.
"Even though she went through cancer, her story doesn't end there."
Signs of Leukaemia
Leukaemia is a type of blood cancer. Specifically a cancer of the white blood cells (also called leukocytes) – it starts in the bone marrow.
Leukaemia results in the over-production of abnormal white blood cells. These cells are unable to carry out their normal function as the part of the immune system, to defend and protect against infection.
There are four main types of leukaemia:
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)
Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)
Leukaemia is often difficult to spot as its symptoms aren’t specific and aren’t well known.
The symptoms in adults and children are very similar, however, symptoms in children can develop more quickly.
According to the charity Leukaemia UK signs of the condition can include:
Fatigue
Unexplained weight loss
Bruising and bleeding easily
Swollen lymph nodes
Swollen and/or painful stomach
Infections
Shortness of breath
Night sweats
Pain in bones/joints
Skin rashes
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your GP and request a blood test. Early diagnosis can save lives.
Additional reporting SWNS.
Read more about cancer and treatments:
Breast cancer symptoms: 300,000 women to be offered drug to slash risk of the disease (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)
Symptoms of UK’s most common cancer types as cases soar in under 50s (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
What is bowel cancer? Abby Cohen shares symptom that led to early diagnosis (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)
