The twin of a teenager with a rare form of cancer has revealed how she suffers the same pain as her sick sister, despite being completely healthy.
Sophie Walker, 17, was diagnosed with Wilms tumor, a type of kidney cancer, in October 2017.
Interestingly, her twin sister Megan also suffered from similar symptoms, including back pain in the same location as Sophie’s tumour, despite not having the disease.
Since then, Sophie has been given the all-clear three times, but the cancer has always returned.
Now the NHS has said they cannot offer any more treatments and there are currently no clinical trials you can access.
Sophie Walker (LEFT), 17, was diagnosed with Wilms tumor, a type of kidney cancer, in October 2017.
Interestingly, her twin sister Megan (RIGHT) also suffered similar symptoms, including back pain in the same location as Sophie’s tumour, despite not having the disease.
Her parents Rebecca, 44, and Jamie Walker, 45, along with Sophie’s nine siblings, are fundraising for innovative treatment abroad.
Rebecca, who runs a hostel with her husband Jamie, from Edinburgh, Scotland, said: “Looking at Sophie and Megan, they are so close they are almost in sync, it’s like one person split in two.”
‘How could Megan have a life without Sophie? We are not only worried about Sophie but also about Megan.
‘Treatment in Germany costs £4,000 per tumour, so for both tumors plus costs it is £10,000 per month; then your high dose vitamin C costs £2,000, so we’re looking at £13,000 a month on treatments alone.
“We have enough to go back to Germany maybe one more time, I’m worried we won’t be able to raise the funds.”
Sophie’s parents Rebecca, 44, and Jamie Walker, 45, along with Sophie’s nine siblings, are fundraising for ground-breaking treatment abroad.
They hope to take Sophie to Germany for transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment to shrink the tumors and then to the United States for immunotherapy, and have raised £78,000 of the £350,000 needed.
Sophie had already been to Germany once to receive the treatment, but she needs to make several trips for it to be effective.
For the last seven years, Sophie has tried every option available on the NHS and has been told there is nothing more they can do.
But a clinic in Germany has offered an innovative new treatment that delivers chemotherapy directly to the tumor through blood vessels.
And if they can shrink the tumor enough for Sophie to fly safely, the family hopes to take her to the United States for immunotherapy treatment in California.
Rebecca, who runs a hostel with her husband Jamie, from Edinburgh, Scotland, said: “Looking at Sophie and Megan, they are so close they are almost in sync – it’s like one person split into two.”
Meanwhile, Sophie and her friends visited Disneyland Paris in January and she continues to receive NHS blood and platelet transfusions which keep Sophie’s platelet levels up.
“(After the treatment in Germany) I can feel that the tumor on his back has shrunk a lot,” Rebecca said.
‘Our plan was to reduce them enough in Germany to be able to fly to the United States.
‘When the tumors were removed last year, we sent a piece to Canada.
‘It is being tested whether any medication can be used and which chemotherapies the tumor is sensitive to.
‘Once we know which immunotherapies your tumor is sensitive to, we can go to California for immunotherapy to help your body recognize tumors.
‘At Disneyland she was like any average 17-year-old girl, she’s a big Star Wars fan and bought lightsabers.
“She grew to be a normal teenager; it was so nice to see her be normal.”
Fundraising for Sophie’s treatment can be found here.