An eagle-eyed mum may have saved her baby daughter’s life after she correctly recognised marks and bruises on her skin – as signs of leukaemia.
Laura Handley was reading a news story about tragic schoolboy James O’Mara who died just a week after being diagnosed with blood cancer.
Laura, 29, realised her one-year-old daughter Tazmin had the same marks on her skin and took the tot to her GP who ordered a bone marrow biopsy.
The tests revealed Tazmin had myelodysplasia (pre-leukaemia) and last Wednesday (19/7) she was sent to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for chemotherapy.
Laura, who lives with partner Chris Carpenter, 29, and their five children in Tenbury Wells, Worcs, said: “We are just so shocked.
“If I hadn’t read that story about that poor lad I wouldn’t have taken her to the doctors.
“You have to trust your instinct I just knew something was wrong with our princess.
“We just kept putting it down to her being clumsy, as she is so clumsy, and even the consultant said if she was her child she wouldn’t have taken her to the doctor’s as she is just so well in herself.
“She seems so healthy.
“I keep thinking of this young lad’s family, it’s so heart-breaking.
“I am upset obviously, but I am glad that I read the article.”
Tragic 13-year-old James O’Mara first fell ill and had bruises and red marks on his skin on May 29 but died on June 8.
His family, from Claines, Worcs., thought it was nothing more than a sickness bug.
But they were left devastated when tests revealed he was battling acute myeloid leukaemia.
To follow Tazmin’s journey, go to Facebook page: Tazmin’s Fight Against AML
