Pupils with same cancer become best friends

Betsy, seven, and five-year-old Lacie have a very special friendship.

Despite living less than a mile apart in Bridgend, and attending the same school, they did not meet until April 2023.

This was when they were both diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) just three weeks apart.

Since then both the girls and their parents have become like family.

They’ve supported each through chemotherapy cycles, hair loss and formed a support bubble when both needed to isolate.

"It’s really nice to have a friend that's always with you in hospital," said Betsy.

"She's special to me…. she's my best friend," said Lacie.

Their mums said they could not imagine facing the past 18 months without each other, and families they have met at Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales in Cardiff.

"Having someone there who's going through the same thing, it's just everything," explained Lacie’s mother Jess.

"It’s such an important friendship for us and it’s helped us on our journey no end," added Betsy’s mum Charlotte.

Lacie first became unwell in October 2022 and for about six months had multiple visits to the GP for everything from sickness and high temperatures to colds and chickenpox.

The following April, a large lump appeared on her neck and the family received the diagnosis a week later.

"We just broke down, just there and then," said her mother Jess.

"I was just looking over at my husband thinking ‘tell me this is a dream'."

Little did she know that just three weeks earlier, Charlotte, who she had never met despite living so close to, had received the same devastating news about her daughter.

Betsy’s diagnosis followed months of stomach pain, fevers and limb pain.

Following blood tests, she received the same diagnosis.

"It was a hammer blow... my whole world turned upside down," said Charlotte.

Just weeks later, when Betsy was in the early stages of her chemotherapy, Charlotte received a text message from a friend that would be the catalyst for the girls' friendship.

"[She] said 'I hope you don't mind me messaging but I have a friend who’s in the same school as you who lives local and has just been given the news that her daughter has got the same diagnosis'," recalled Charlotte.

"It just completely stopped me in my tracks."

Charlotte decided to text Jess immediately.

"I'm so glad she did," said Jess.

"She could give me an insight into what was to come because at the beginning, they get given a really heavy dose of steroids.

"And it changes their appearance, it changes their characters, it changes their physical features and I was prepped for that."

The girls met for the first time at hospital.

"They just hit it off straight away," said Jess.

"The girls just straight away acted as if they had been best friends for life.

"It was lovely, they were hugging, they were getting to know each other, asking each other questions and it's just evolved from there."

Since then both girls have been through gruelling treatment.

Betsy responded well to her chemotherapy.

But for the first six months, Lacie’s parents were told she was not responding to the treatment.

"Every time you hear those words 'the chemo hasn't worked as well as we would like it to work’ it breaks your heart again and again," said Jess.

"There was a lot of guilt for me because Betsy was responding to treatment… things were going well for us and they were not going particularly well for Jess and Lacie at that point," said Charlotte.

"I hope I was there for her, to support where she has been for me throughout."

After six months Lacie’s consultant was able to secure funding for a drug that is not available on the NHS.

It is a targeted immunotherapy drug called Blinatumomab, also known as Blina.

For four weeks, Lacie had to wear a backpack containing the drug for 24 hours a day so it could enter her blood intravenously through a picc line in her arm.

"Thankfully, that worked," said Jess.

Both girls are now in the maintenance phase of their treatment - which is due to be completed next year.

This means they still have to take medication daily and have frequent hospital visits.

But they are back at school.

Each week, Lesley, their paediatric oncology outreach nurse specialist, visits them to check their bloods.

She has witnessed their friendship flourish.

"They both understand what each other are going through and [when] having a blood sample they’re really supportive of each other," she said.

"I think Lacie found it quite difficult having a blood sample in school the first couple of times but Betsy was really encouraging so it made the whole process easier."

On a Tuesday morning at school, Betsy was determined to lead by example when getting her thumb pricked so Lesley could squeeze out enough blood to check her blood count.

"I'm going to be good because I know Lacie is younger than me so I'll show her," she said.

Lacie quickly responded to her friend's courage.

"I think I am going to be as brave as Betsy is," said Lacie.

Their mums get similar strength from one another too.

"I am surrounded by people and surrounded by lovely friends and family who were so supportive," said Charlotte.

"But to have that person that understands… sometimes you don't have to speak, it's just a smile.

"Those friendships are so important."

"I get so emotional because I genuinely couldn’t do this without you… it’s such a lonely place…. you understand exactly what I’m going through," said Jess to Charlotte.

"You’ve been my rock."