A nine year old schoolgirl who suffered from a mouth abscess that made her gums painfully swell over her teeth is now fighting a rare form of cancer.
Grace Greenwood, 9, was given the agonising news that she had acute myeloid leukaemia only one week ago after visiting various dentists and doctors for swelling to her gums.
The leukaemia was discovered following a blood test and now little Grace is undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatment, according to Grimsby Live.
Mum Abbi Greenwood, from Grimsby, revealed Grace was tired, pale and had no energy when she was taken to the hospital and then soon after they were told the devastating news.
The past seven days have been a struggle for the family, but a fundraiser has been created to help raise money for Grace to buy a professionally made wig for when she loses her beautiful, long hair and to pay for activities with her family.
Abbi said: “Grace had been dealing with an abscess in her mouth that kept her gums swelling to the point that you could barely see her teeth. We took her to the dentist who gave her some antibiotics, but the swelling continued.
“After a while, she became tired, exhausted and very pale. At first, we were told it was a viral infection and were sent home with more antibiotics. However, over that week she got much worse and we took her to the dentist once more who referred her to have her teeth taken out.
“However, nothing changed and she was struggling to open her mouth. She was so unwell that we got my mum to take her to the hospital as me and her dad, Ben, had Covid. After a blood test, they were told she had a high count of white blood cells and she was sent straight to Sheffield Children’s Hospital who confirmed she had acute myeloid leukaemia.
“We’ve been here a week now and she’s doing amazing. She’s taken everything in her stride and is dealing with things day by day. It’s strange for her and she does get frustrated at times, but she’s doing really well. It’s been really hard for us as parents as it feels like our world has been turned upside down, but she keeps us going.
“It was a real shock for us to learn that it was cancer and not just an abscess. As a mum, I knew something wasn’t right, but I never thought it would be cancer. Sadly we haven’t been able to have much treatment as Grace has contracted Covid whilst she’s been here so we’re waiting for her to test negative before going any further.”
Whilst in hospital, family members have started a fundraising page for Grace to help raise money for a wig and for activities for her and her family. Abbi is hoping Grace will be able to come home soon and continue her treatment back in Grimsby.
The fund has already raised over £1,200. To donate to the GoFundMe page, click here.
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