Mum of five-year-old Leeds girl battling cancer in Candlelighters support plea

Allison Brown said Candlelighters has given her family invaluable emotional and practical support for four years as daughter Hannah Richardson battles acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Hannah, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy, has lost the sight in her left eye due to the cancer and must wait until she is well enough to undergo surgery to remove the eye.

Hannah also needs a bone marrow transplant, but cannot undergo that procedure until her heart is strong enough after being weakened by infections.

Candlelighters, which has lost 40 per cent of its income during the Covid-19 pandemic, has launched a new fundraising appeal this month - Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Candlelighters has given Allison and her partner Joseph Richardson much-needed respite care along with emotional support during talking therapy sessions and peer support groups.

Hannah was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was just 11-months-old.

She suffered a relapse just before Christmas 2019 after a severe reaction to chicken pox.

Hannah was placed on a ventilator at Leeds Children’s Hospital and fought for life as consultants told her devastated parents she had a 50 per cent chance of survival.

Allison said: "Our hearts were ripped out. We thought we were going to lose our daughter and there is no worse feeling. We will never forget those that saved her her life."

Allison said Hannah's consultants are now more hopeful that she will recover after all her treatment has been carried out.

Hannah will need to have three months of immunotherapy treatment before she is able to have a bone marrow transplant.

Allison said: "She is fun and bubbly - she is like a Duracell bunny, she has bursts of energy.

"She has coped really well and takes it all in her stride. Parts of the treatment are really scary but as soon as it is done she is back to her happy and fun self."

Allison added: "Candlelighters have been a lifeline for the past four years. They are like a second family.

"They support the entire family rather than just the child. They provide loving support, which is invaluable for families."

Like many charities, Candlelighters has seen a huge gap in funding due to mass participation event cancellations and a severe drop in community and corporate fundraising during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The charity's income has been reduced by 40 per cent and is expected to continue, if not worsen, for the foreseeable future.

Leanne Windell, head of fundraising and marketing at Candlelighters, said, "The Covid-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic effect on fundraising across the entire charity sector, including at Candlelighters.

"Unfortunately income is volatile, so we are asking supporters to give a regular gift at http://bit.ly/CandlelightersRegularGift which will provide the much-needed stability we need, and enable us to continue our mission to provide emotional, practical and financial support to empower families affected by childhood cancer across Yorkshire.

"You don’t have to do something big to have a life changing impact."

To support Candlelighters during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, visit their website https://www.candlelighters.org.uk/what-we-do/ccam-2020/ to find out more or to make a donation online.