‘My world fell apart when my daughter’s sore elbow turned out to be cancer’

Children often bump and bruise themselves, but for 9-year-old Isabella Minney, this was not one of those ordinary occasions.

Her mother, Julia, shared their experience saying: “Isabella had been complaining about having a sore elbow, so we took her to the GP to have some tests, and she was immediately admitted to Morriston Hospital. Then she was sent to Cardiff for further testing, and it was confirmed she had leukaemia and our world fell apart.”

Isabella, from Penclawdd, received her diagnosis of blood cancer in March 2021 and has since endured gruelling treatment.

Julia said: “Within days she’d had her port fitted and the hell began. She used to have long brown hair down her back and she lost that within three weeks and her face became all puffy.”

Over the past two years, Isabella has undergone extensive treatment, including daily oral chemotherapy and intravenous therapy every four weeks. Julia praised her daughter’s incredible resilience in the face of pain, fatigue, and emotional strain, which affected the whole family.

Fortunately, Isabella’s treatment reached its conclusion last week on Friday, July 14, and she became the first person to ring a newly installed bell at Morriston Hospital, symbolising the end of her chemotherapy journey.

Joined by her mum and dad, Gareth, and her brother Oliver, a beaming Isabella joyfully rang the bell, which now graces Morriston’s paediatric oncology shared care unit. This unit provides care for children with cancer in the Swansea area, and until now, only Cardiff had a bell for patients completing their treatments to ring.

The ringing of the bell signifies a significant milestone for patients, typically two or three years after starting treatment, when they are ready to resume their everyday lives. It is a moment of celebration for the entire family, reflecting on the emotional and physical journey they have endured together while embracing the future. The bell also serves as an inspiration for children with cancer, reminding them to persevere through challenging times. These bells are provided by the charity End of Treatment Bells.

Julia expressed her deep gratitude for the incredible staff who supported Isabella throughout her treatment. She said: “The staff who have treated Isabella and helped us all through her treatment have been incredible. They have been so supportive and understanding and I don’t know what we would have done without them.”

Angela Gallagher, a paediatric oncology outreach nurse specialist, said: “Children with cancer have been receiving part of their intravenous chemotherapy here in outpatients in Morriston Hospital for the past three years, administered by myself and Jackie Quigley.

“They ring the bell on Rainbow Ward in Cardiff, but we now have our own bell for the patients to ring when they have their last dose with us. Isabella has had her last vincristine (chemotherapy drug). She is an amazing inspiration and has been throughout her treatment for leukaemia.”

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