Darcyana, five, back at school after undergoing chemotherapy
A five-year-old whose mother has incurable cancer, and who herself has been battling a brain tumour, has started back at school after finishing her chemotherapy.
Darcyana Aspery-Walsh, from Eston, Middlesbrough, was delighted to see her friends and teachers at Whale Hill Primary School on Tuesday after missing every Friday in her first year due to her treatment regime.
Last Friday, she rang the bell at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle to signal the completion of her second chemotherapy treatment.
Tragically, her mother Debbie Aspery, 30, was diagnosed with incurable cancer in 2016 – having found a lump in her breast.
Tests showed this was a secondary cancer and she was found to have cancer in her bones, which has since spread.
Darcyana missed every Friday of school as she needed to go to the RVI for chemotherapy to treat the tumour she calls “Timmy”.
From diagnosis aged just 21 months, Darcyana has endured brain surgery and multiple procedures.
She has also endured the loss of young friends she made on the ward who sadly did not survive.
Her family has also had the devastating blow of Debbie’s diagnosis, and she praised Darcyana’s father Gareth, calling him her “rock”.
She said: “I always believed lightning couldn’t strike twice, but it did with our family.
“Last year, I was going to the RVI for chemo on Tuesdays and Darcyana was there on Fridays – we always seemed to be going backwards and forwards to hospital appointments.”
She added: “I am so thankful to have Darcyana’s dad Gareth.
“He is my absolute rock, completely devoted to caring for us both. Gareth does so much for Darcyana and me at home, as well as driving us to hospital and sitting with us during appointments or while we have our treatment.
“My attitude is that we have to stay positive, especially for Darcyana. She has gone through so much already and we don’t know what the future holds.
“All we can do is everything we can to make her life as happy as possible – she is our little princess, who loves Barbie, Paw Patrol and playing on her iPad.
“She is a typical five-year-old and every day she makes us so happy and proud to be her parents.
“Life is now about waking up on a morning and being grateful that we are all still here.
“We take each day as it comes and make the most of every second we spend together as a family.”
Sue Farrington Smith, chief executive of the Brain Tumour Research charity, said: “For too long, brain tumours have been a neglected cancer and stories like Darcyana’s remind us we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue.
“Sadly, less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers.
“Brain Tumour Research is funding dedicated UK Centres of Excellence, where scientists are focused on improving outcomes for patients and, ultimately, finding a cure.”
