A three-year-old girl can no longer see her nursery friends after a suspected water infection turned out to be cancer.
Poppy Smith is now facing 27 gruelling weeks of chemotherapy and due to her lowered immune system, can’t risk seeing her beloved friends for the foreseeable future.
Back in January, the youngster complained about stomach pains and had blood in her urine, when her mum, Hollie Jagger, took her to the GP.
As most GPs were only taking phone appointments at the time due to Covid, they described poor Poppy’s symptoms and sent a urine sample in and were given antibiotics.
The doctor said it sounded like she had a water infection, but if the symptoms were to persist then the youngster should be given another course of the drugs.
But mum Hollie, from west Hull, kept insisting that her daughter needed to see someone in person.
Hollie, 30, told MEN Media: "Poppy went into the doctor's surgery to do another sample and I remember arguing with the receptionist and saying that she really just needs to see someone.
“I held up her sample and it was bright red - this couldn't be normal for any three-year-old to have.
"After leaving, we got a call asking if Poppy could go in to another doctor's office because they managed to find someone that would see her. The GP knew straight away it wasn't a water infection and referred her to hospital.”
On February 9, Poppy was told that she had cancer in her kidney and the doctor at the hospital said he could feel the tumour just by touching the area.
Then, the young tot had to go through four awful weeks of chemo, just so she could have an operation to remove the tumour. But through it all Poppy remained smiling.
Her mum said: "She didn't understand much of what was going on, just that she had to take her 'nasty medicine'.
"The really confusing part for her was when her hair started to fall out. It's growing back a little now but she has more chemo to come, so I've let her know that she will probably lose it again."
In April, the family prepared for Poppy's operation to have the tumour and her left kidney removed at the hospital in Leeds. They were advised the tumour had shrunk quite well because of the chemotherapy and they hoped for positive results.
Hollie said: "We went in on a Wednesday and we were out on the Sunday. Even though she was having such a major operation, Poppy never stopped being our bubbly and chatty girl.
"She is always so cheeky and confident - the only ever time she's not is when she's been given morphine and in a lot pain, which would be horrible for anyone, let alone a three-year-old.
“She can't go to nursery and see her friends at the moment because of her low immunity and she still has a further 27 weeks of chemo to go.
"Me and her dad just want her to have something to look forward to because all she waits for is the pins and needles she'll get from her chemo treatment."
Hollie left her full-time job to care for her daughter and Poppy’s dad, Hugo Smith, and grandmother, both took a few months off work to help.
Now, family and friends are setting up a series of charity events to fundraise money to give Poppy the memories they say she deserves.
They will be doing a sponsored walk across the Humber Bridge, wearing pink t-shirts, and Poppy herself will even join to see how far across she can get.
Hugo's work friend, Lee Stead, will also be taking on the 'Total Warrior Challenge' with his brother to fund some exciting activities for Poppy.
The West Hull family also want to give back to the "Candle Lighters", a charity which helped make Poppy in hospital. Hugo, Poppy's dad, will be doing the 12k Total Warrior Challenge in aid of them.
Hollie is amazed at all the support she has received and said: "She really is so brave, no matter what gets thrown at her. She is still smiling, I’m so proud to call her my daughter.”
Donate to Poppy here .
