The family of a Scots teen who has been battling cancer for six years are desperate to save her life after she relapsed for the fourth time.
Sophie Walker, 16, was diagnosed with a Wilms tumour in 2017 after being rushed to the hospital with a suspected stomach bug. She has since gone through a gruelling cycle of relapse and recovery, with her cancer returning three times between 2020 and 2022.
The Edinburgh teen, who is an identical twin, was in remission following a course of treatment in December last year. Just weeks later in January she received devastating news that her cancer had regrown in her back muscle.
Her parents are desperately trying to raise £350,000 for specialist treatments in America in a bid to save her life.
Mum Rebecca Walker, 42, said their doctor burst into tears while delivering the news to the family.
She told the Record: "At the end of 2022, Sophie was classed as in remission again and her end of treatment scans were clear.
"She started to get a sore back again at the end of January this year and we went to get it checked. She was sent for a scan and an MRI but the consultant couldn't feel anything there.
"We got called to go in and discuss the scan results. When we got there, the consultant looked at us and started crying. Sophie burst into tears.
"The tumour had grown back to around 2-3cm, with a few little ones dotted around her back muscle."
Sophie was just 10 when she underwent a seven-hour operation to remove her cancerous tumour in 2017. She was given the all clear but three years later in 2020 she relapsed again.
The youngster began a treatment plan but tragically relapsed again in 2022. By December of last year she was in remission and her scans had come back clear.
The teenager's fourth relapse has left her family heartbroken. Last week, Sophie's oncologist confirmed they had found a team of UK surgeons able to remove the tumour but warned the operation was not a cure.
Mum-of-ten Rebecca continued: "We still need to find a suitable treatment for Sophie following her surgery as it isn't a cure.
"When we got home after the results, we couldn't function, we couldn't sleep, we couldn't breathe. We were all devastated. Sophie was devastated.
"She just ran to me and broke down. She has taken this all in her stride over the years but she was defeated. That night Sophie and I probably had about four hours sleep.
"We have now set up online consultations with other hospitals in America. There are other options out there."
The family are currently researching various options for Sophie following surgery to remove her tumour but further treatment will not be available on the NHS.
They hope to have specific details worked out after consultations with doctors in America, with current options including T-cell therapy and radioactive mesh. A fundraiser has been set up to pay for the treatment, with the estimated cost being around £350,000.
Rebecca said: "If we can't get the right treatment for Sophie, I don't even know what the future of our family would look like. I can't breathe just thinking about it.
"We are so numb and really struggling. Some days are full of hope and other days you feel so helpless. We have had people saying you need to just accept it but she has a chance, there is still hope.
"It is not in an organ. It is just in her back muscle and it has never spread. We still have hope but we can't wait, we do not have time."
Donations to the fundraising page can be made by clicking here.
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