Shropshire Star

Girl, 8, battling rare cancer after sickness originally thought to be 'winter bug'

The family of a youngster, who is battling a rare form of cancer in hospital, are raising money for the charity which has been their lifeline during their darkest days.

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Eight-year-old Kathryn Pope has been diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma. She is one of only about three cases in Wales each year.

Kathryn started suffering with stomach pains and sickness just before Christmas and her family thought it was a normal winter bug.

But on January 5, Kathryn suffered severe pain in her stomach and kidneys. Her mum and dad Jayne Lyons and Ed Pope took her to Hereford A&E department.

Following various scans, they were told Kathryn had lymphoma and she was sent to the Noah’s Arks Children’s Hospital in Cardiff on January 7.

Jayne said: “The last three weeks have been a blur. We are just taking things day by day. Kathryn has good days and bad days. She will need intensive treatment with four lots of week-long chemotherapy with two lumbar punctures at the start and end.