In June 2019, just 10 weeks before her 12th birthday, Issy was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), a blood cancer which affects around 440 children in the UK each year. Our world fell apart. Nine days later, just as we were beginning to recover from the shock, Issys consultant broke the news that Philadelphia Chromosome Positive had also been detected. PH+ALL is a rare leukaemia subtype that affects around 3-4% of children with ALL. After battling for two hard years, Issy spent 8 months getting her life back to normal and working hard to regain her strength before another crushing diagnosis was delivered in March 2022. Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) is rare in children and Issys team recommended a stem cell transplant as her best course of treatment. Little sister Tilly was swiftly identified as a full match for Issy and the transplant took place in July 2022. The journey to recovery after radiotherapy, chemotherapy and stem cell transplant will be long and peppered with challenges but Issy and her family will continue searching for Silver Linings along the route.

Since the initial diagnosis Issy and mum, Annie, have spent huge blocks of time in NHS hospitals including St Georges Tooting, East Surrey and, their second home, The Royal Marsden in Sutton. The care Issy and her family have received has been outstanding. Nurses, doctors, healthcare assistants, cleaning and kitchen crews, play therapists, charity workers, physio, massage, psychotherapists, everyone has done their utmost to make Issys treatment and her whole familys journey as comfortable as possible. Now, with the help of this amazing Silver Linings community, we want to give something back.

How you can help

That's where Issy's Silver Linings comes in. We want to raise money - lots of it - to help fund research into more effective and kinder cures for PH+ALL and other childhood cancers. We also want to support children and their families on this incredibly difficult journey by raising funds to be used where they are most needed within the children's wards and daycare units at The Royal Marsden in Sutton. With your support we are looking to raise an initial target of £100,000.

Why Issy's Silver Linings?

From a very young age Issy has managed to find silver linings where most only see clouds. Her positive outlook, her courage, kindness and sass have been a constant source of joy and comfort to those who know and love her. Since diagnosis, Issy has continued to find silver linings wherever she can. When told she would lose her beautiful long hair she paused for a moment before saying: At least I won't have to wash it for a while. A few weeks later, before her gruelling chemo took its toll on her hair, she donated 13 inches to make wigs for other children.

Issy's Silver Linings is working together with the Giant Pledge collective to raise funds for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.