- Pippa Woods was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in May
- Border collie Bessie was acting strangely and wouldn’t leave her side
- The dog’s behaviour alerted her parents to something being wrong
- Treatment appears to be working as she has entered remission
- Consultants say if things keep going she will complete treatment in 2018
Stephen Matthews
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A three-year-old girl whose cancer was sniffed out by the family dog is now in remission.
Pippa Woods was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in May after border collie Bessie began to act strangely around her.
The dog refusal to leave her side alerted parents Paula, 38, and Philip, 30, that something was wrong.
Pippa Woods, from North Yorkshire, was diagnosed with leukaemia in May after border collie Bessie began to act strangely around her
She underwent chemotherapy almost straight away and has had various bouts since her diagnosis. But thankfully the treatment is doing its job as she is in remission (pictured with parents Paula, 38, and Philip, 30)
After taking her to the doctors, the little girl from Brotton, North Yorkshire, was given the shock diagnosis.
Various bouts of chemotherapy destroyed the cancer in her blood and allowed her to be given the all-clear.
The good news means life can start getting back to relative normality for the young family – but her parents admit the battle is far from over.
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Mrs Woods said: ‘We have been blessed. I think the fact she is in remission is down to the early detection.
‘We have to be grateful for what the dog has done.’
Pippa’s family initially put the symptoms down to a bug – but doctors revealed the news within a few hours of a blood test.
Consultants are happy with Pippa’s progress and say if things keep going the way they are then she will complete treatment in 2018
She underwent chemotherapy almost straight away but didn’t fully understand what was happening to her.
Numerous hospital appointments visited and she underwent more bouts of therapy as the weeks went on.
On Tuesday, Pippa had to have a blood transfusion – but thankfully the treatment is doing its job.
Consultants are happy with her progress and say if things keep going the way they are then she will complete treatment in 2018.
Mr Woods said: ‘Pippa is doing OK, and the chemo is doing its job. But we are just taking each day as it comes.’
Her parents say they are beginning to look at getting her into a nursery – but want her to have some fun before school starts.
ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKAEMIA – A CANCER COMMON IN CHILDREN AGED ONE TO FOUR YEARS OLD
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is specifically a cancer of the immature lymphocyte cells, pictured
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells.
All white blood cells are made in the bone marrow.
There are two different types of white blood cells – lymphocytes and myeloid cells.
They work together to fight infection.
Normally, white blood cells develop, repair and reproduce in an orderly and controlled way.
But in leukaemia, the process gets out of control and the cells continue to divide in the bone marrow, but do not mature.
These immature dividing cells fill up the bone marrow and stop it from making healthy blood cells.
As the leukaemia cells fail to mature, they cannot work properly to fight infections.
This leads to an increased risk of infection, and because the bone marrow cannot make enough healthy red blood cells and platelets, symptoms such as anaemia and bruising can occur.
There are four main types of leukaemia:
- acute lymphoblastic
- acute myeloid
- chronic lymphocytic
- chronic myeloid
Chronic forms of the disease tend to affect adults and are very rare in children.
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is specifically a cancer of the immature lymphocytes, called lymphoblasts or blast cells.
The causes are not yet known but studies have found identical twins and brothers and sister are at an increased risk of the disease.
These immature dividing cells fill up the bone marrow and stop it from making healthy blood cells (pictured)
Symptoms are similar to other forms of leukaemia, and include:
- a child becoming lethargic and tired due to anaemia, caused by a lack of red blood cells
- bruising
- bleeding taking longer to stop, due to low levels of platelets, which help blood clot
- some children suffer infections because of low levels of white blood cells
- a child is likely to feel generally unwell
- suffer aches and pains
- swollen lymph glands
Source: Macmillan Cancer Support
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