Mum Says NHS Dismissed Cancer as ‘Low Iron’ Before Daughter Left Paralyzed
A heartbroken mum says her daughter was left paralyzed after NHS doctors repeatedly dismissed signs of cancer as nothing more than low iron. Mariam Hitchen, from Bolton, says her ordeal began on Christmas Day 2022 when her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter Hana started feeling unusually weak.
Doctors initially prescribed iron supplements, believing the little girl was simply anemic. But when the medicine made no difference, Mariam knew something wasn’t right. Her worst fears were confirmed when Hana was eventually diagnosed with neuroblastoma — a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. It wasn’t until then that treatment finally began.
Hana went through eight gruelling rounds of chemotherapy and more, but she responded well and even managed to return to school for a while, reported the Daily Mail.
But the relief didn’t last long. Earlier this year, in March, Mariam grew concerned again. Hana was becoming weak, struggling with “excruciating pain” in her neck and back. But when she raised her worries with a doctor at Manchester Children’s Hospital, she says she was brushed off.
“The doctor didn’t believe the pain in her neck and back was due to a lump,” she told MailOnline. “He said it couldn’t be cancer because she managed to walk into his office.”
Despite Mariam’s insistence that something was wrong, she says the consultant was “very dismissive” and only reluctantly agreed to a scan. But by then, the damage had been done. Hana had relapsed, and the tumours were back — this time pressing on her spine.
“If Hana had received radiotherapy the day I noticed, I one million percent believe she would have been able to still walk out of this hospital,” Mariam said. “Now we have to live with the fact that our daughter won’t walk again.”
Doctors eventually performed an emergency MRI scan, which revealed multiple tumors around Hana’s spine. She was rushed for radiotherapy in an attempt to relieve the pressure, but it was too late to save her mobility. Hana, now stable but paralyzed from the waist down, is continuing her fight. Mariam has launched a fundraiser to support her daughter’s treatment and recovery, calling her a “warrior princess.”
“We started the new year with our treatment plan,” Mariam explained, reflecting on the original diagnosis. “She went through everything – stem cell replacement, high dose chemo, immunotherapy and radiotherapy.”
Mariam says parents like her are often dismissed too easily. “A lot of parents don’t get listened to,” she said. “And that delay can change everything.” Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said they’re supporting the family and working closely to manage Hana’s care.
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