Heartbroken Mom Says Her Daughter’s ‘Mottled Skin’ Was ‘Mistaken For Neglect’ And She Was Handed Over To The Authorities: It Turned Out To Be Cancer

“My family had seen this so much with my sister Megan that we kept photos to track the changes,” Smith said. “But when I showed medical staff at Worcester’s Royal Hospital the lump and bruise on Wendi-Lou’s torso and asked for a specialist bone marrow biopsy, they got social services involved to look into neglect and abuse.

“They weren’t listening about the cancer and I was restricted from having access on my own to my baby for three days. I had to go to a child protection meeting and finally the consultant pediatrician said they thought it was something more medical.”

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Eventually, little Wendie-Lou was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. The 14 week old is now undergoing chemotherapy treatments at a different hospital after Smith sought a second opinion. Thankfully, Wendie-Lou is beginning to play and sit up on her own.

“It’s important to be really persistent when you think something is wrong with your child,” Smith said. “I’d noticed changes in my baby for a while and kept telling doctors that.

“My gut instinct was that something was wrong. Childhood cancer may be rare but it still happens. Wendi-Lou was getting lumps in different places so took her to hospital several times.”

Her advice to other parents: “Push for answers and get to the bottom of what the problem is.”

“It was a horrendous time as I had alarm bells ringing over my baby’s health and had to go through all that,” she said. “A mother knows her own child and it could save your baby’s life.”

Understanding Leukemia

Leukemia is a blood cancer that develops when the body produces large quantities of abnormal white blood cells. These cells prevent the bone marrow from producing any other type of cell including red blood cells and platelets.

"One cell got really selfish and decided that it needed to take up all the resources of everybody else, and, in doing so, took up space and energy from the rest of the body," Dr. Nina Shah, a hematologist at University of California San Francisco, explained.

What Is A Blood Cancer? How Is It different?

In a more general sense, blood cancer means that your bone marrow is not functioning properly.

"And when your bone marrow doesn't function correctly, it means that you can have something happen to you like anemia," she said. "Or you can have low platelets, which makes it possible for you to bleed easily. Or your immune system is not functioning correctly."

Symptoms of Leukemia in Children

When a child develops leukemia, noticeable symptoms can depend on many factors. Symptoms can occur a bit differently in each child but potential ones include the following, according to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center:

• Pale skin
• Feeling tired, weak or cold
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Shortness of breath, trouble breathing
• Frequent or long-term infections
• Fever
• Easy bruising or bleeding such as nosebleeds or bleeding gums
• Bone or joint pain
• Belly (abdominal) swelling
• Poor appetite
• Weight loss
• Swollen lymph glands (nodes)

These symptoms are not exclusive to leukemia. So, just because your child exhibits any or multiple of these symptoms does not mean they necessarily have leukemia. Even still, you should always bring your child for medical evaluation should any changes to their health occur. You never know when speaking up could lead to a crucial diagnosis.

Advocating for Your Child

Here at SurvivorNet, we always encourage people to advocate for themselves when it comes to cancer and, more generally, health care. When it comes to a child, the parent must become the advocate.

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And even if you're called 'pushy' or people dismiss the concerns you have for your child, it's important to remember that you never know when speaking up about a seemingly unproblematic issue can lead to a very important diagnosis cancer or otherwise.

"Every appointment you leave as a patient, there should be a plan for what the doc is going to do for you, and if that doesn't work, what the next plan is," Dr. Zuri Murell, director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. "And I think that that's totally fair. And me as a health professional that's what I do for all of my patients."

Be Pushy, Be Your Own Advocate… Don't Settle

In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, April Knowles also talked about self advocacy and explained how she became a breast cancer advocate after her doctor dismissed the lump in her breast as a side effect of her menstrual period. Unfortunately, that dismissal was a mistake. Knowles was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at age 39. She said the experience taught her the importance of listening to her body and speaking up when something doesn't feel right.

I Wanted My Doctor To Like Me, Then He Missed My Breast Cancer

"I wanted my doctor to like me," she said. "I think women, especially young women, are really used to being dismissed by their doctors."

Figuring out whether or not you have or your child has cancer based on possible symptoms is critical because early detection may help with treatment and outcomes. Seeking multiple opinions is one way make sure you are or your child is getting the proper care and attention. You should also try to remember that not all doctors are in agreement. Recommendations for further testing or treatment options can vary, and sometimes it's essential to talk with multiple medical professionals.

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