'We love you all and we have your backs' - family of cancer warrior Dulcie share message to the NHS
NHS staff have been sent a message of support from the mother of a little Telford girl who is battling an aggressive form of childhood cancer.
Debbie O'Kelly of Lawley has been travelling up and down the country with her six year old daughter Dulcie who is fighting Stage 4 Neuroblastoma.
Dulcie is at home - hopefully for Christmas with the family - after the latest round of a revolutionary treatment at Leeds Hospital. She was first diagnosed with the disease on December 9, 2021.
On the eve of another round of strikes in the NHS Mrs O'Kelly has posted her support for NHS staff on the social media site Instagram, alongside an emotional picture of her daughter holding a nurse's hand.
"There’s so much wrong with the world right but paying our medical staff what they need to just survive shouldn’t be one of them," she said.
"My daughter had her day three of cycle three of a revolutionary treatment and it is thanks to the amazing medical staff of the Leeds hospital that she feels safe and comfortable.
"So comfortable in fact, that she pulled Sarah’s hand into her for comfort, I was the other side... but knowing she felt safe enough to grab her nurses hand, had me in tears and I just had to grab this picture."
She added: "It’s not just about tending to a person's medical needs, these people work so hard not only fully understand and help with your medical problems but they get to know you on a personal level.
"We wouldn’t be where we are now if it wasn’t for this amazing team of people, not only in Leeds but at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and, where our journey began, at The Princess Royal in Telford.
"We love you all and we have your backs," she added.
Dulcie was driven back home from Leeds early on Saturday morning after reacting well to the latest round of her treatment.
But Mrs O'Kelly says it is too soon yet to claim success. There are many, many more weeks of treatment to go before that can be said.
While Dulcie is having treatment in the UK the family and her army of friends and supporters are helping them to have a plan B. If treatment options run out in the UK, they are planning to go to the USA to take up another option.
That could cost around £250,000 and they currently have some £95,000 with more coming in all the time.
For ways on how you can help visit the charity Solving Kids Cancer page here: https://www.solvingkidscancer.org.uk/appeal/dulcie
You can also text DULCIE 5 to 70085 and you can donate £5 (you can donate anything from £1 up to £20)
