Lorraine Wilson knew her daughter Milly needed a blood test after she had reported feeling unwell for some time.
At first, Lorraine put her 11-year-old’s complaints of feeling tired and looking pale down to starting a new school and thought it would eventually pass.
But as a nurse, she insisted blood tests be done, and Milly Walmsley was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in November 2014. The family, from Blackburn, were rushed to hospital and Milly underwent gruelling treatment right away.
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Milly had to spend several weeks in hospital where she was given a bone marrow transplant and told she was in remission, reports the ECHO. But, sadly, it returned and she passed away in September 2015.
Since then, mum Lorraine has pledged to keep her daughter’s name alive, and help other struggling families going through similar experiences. "She was such a happy, loving girl,” she says of young Milly. “She smiled the whole way through her treatment so we set up a charity Milly's smiles.”
Explaining the purpose of the charity, Lorraine said: “We provide a bag for families who arrive in hospital with nothing, like we did, that will help them and show them we understand and we care. It's like a hug in a bag.
"It started off in Manchester and then we helped families in Alder Hey which is an honour. We've been working with Alder Hey since 2018 and have donated hundreds of bags, which is hundreds of children diagnosed with cancer and of course, not everyone survived that.
"We've now expanded to Leeds and we are soon hoping to take on another hospital with the aim of providing for all children's hospitals in the UK, to make a difference for these families."
The care bags contain a blanket, neck pillow, heat pads, a water bottle, a mug with a lid, a notepad and pen, toiletries, a hand knitted elephant to symbolise they will never be forgotten and some sweets. They have been provided to more than 1,000 families to date.
"It's a privilege to make a difference in her name,” Lorraine added of the work she does. “We think every family should be supported across the UK. Looking back, you're more aware of the signs.
"My advice would be if you're concerned is to be persistent. Don't give up or be fobbed off and trust your instincts. So many parents say they have had difficulty getting a diagnosis but as a parent you know when something is wrong."
