💔👶 Doctors Said It Was “Just Constipation” — Then a 30cm Tumour Was Found Inside Her Baby Girl
Sometimes, a parent’s greatest fear is not being believed when they know something is wrong.

For Anna Chattaway and Dom Wilde, that fear became reality when their little daughter, Florence, began showing signs that something wasn’t right.

At first, Florence simply seemed unwell.

She became unusually tired and repeatedly picked up infections. Then came hand, foot and mouth disease, followed by antibiotics and a period when she simply didn’t seem like herself.

But soon, Anna noticed something much more alarming.

Florence’s tiny tummy was beginning to swell.

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The family repeatedly took her to the doctor.

They were told it was constipation.

Laxatives were prescribed.

For weeks, Anna had to give her daughter laxatives, hoping they would relieve the problem.

But Florence wasn’t getting better.

Her stomach continued to grow.

She was in pain.

She struggled to sleep unless her mother held her upright.

And Anna couldn’t shake the feeling that something much more serious was happening.

She kept returning to the doctors.

Again and again, the family was reᴀssured that Florence was constipated.

At one point, Anna says, a doctor even told her that they should “address the elephant in the room” because they did not think it was cancer.

But Anna’s instincts refused to let her stop searching for answers.

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Finally, her family pushed for a blood test.

The results were abnormal.

Florence was immediately referred for further ᴀssessment.

Then another doctor examined her abdomen.

This time, the doctor felt something different.

There were lumps.

Something wasn’t right.

Scans finally revealed the devastating truth.

Florence had a huge 30-centimeter tumour growing inside her abdomen.

She was only a tiny child.

The tumour weighed approximately 2 kilograms — nearly 15 percent of her body weight at the time.

The diagnosis was neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer that develops from immature nerve cells and most commonly affects children under five.

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Florence was diagnosed in November 2024, shortly after her first birthday.

Her parents’ world changed overnight.

Instead of celebrating their little girl’s childhood, they were suddenly facing cancer treatment, surgery, chemotherapy, scans, and an uncertain future.

Florence underwent major surgery at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where doctors removed as much of the tumour as possible.

The very next day, she began emergency chemotherapy.

For three months, she went through intensive treatment designed to shrink the tumour.

But then another devastating discovery came.

Further scans revealed that the cancer had spread to her spine.

It wasn’t localized.

Florence was fighting metastatic disease.

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Her treatment became even more intense.

She eventually underwent additional surgery, high-dose chemotherapy, and multiple rounds of immunotherapy.

Through it all, however, her family saw something extraordinary.

Florence kept smiling.

She kept playing.

She kept showing the world that she was so much more than her diagnosis.

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Her mother describes her as an incredibly happy little girl who continued to show remarkable strength throughout treatment.

Even during hospital admissions, Florence remained full of life.

Every smile became precious.

Every laugh became a victory.

Every ordinary moment at home became something her parents treasured.

After months of gruelling treatment, Florence’s family finally received encouraging news.

By April 2026, doctors told them that her tumour had stopped progressing.

For the first time in a long time, the family could breathe a little easier.

But their journey wasn’t over.

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Florence has completed the standard NHS treatment available to her, but her parents want to pursue an additional relapse-prevention treatment called DFMO.

Because the treatment was no longer available through the NHS protocol when Florence became eligible, her family is now trying to raise £100,000 to fund it privately.

For Anna and Dom, the goal is simple.

They want to do everything possible to give their daughter the best chance of staying cancer-free.

They know how quickly life can change.

They know what it feels like to be told that their child’s symptoms were something ordinary — only to discover a life-threatening disease growing silently inside her.

And they don’t want another family to feel as alone as they once did.

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Anna hopes Florence’s story will also encourage parents to trust their instincts.

Children can experience constipation, tiredness, stomach pain, and other common symptoms for many harmless reasons.

But when something persists, changes, or simply doesn’t feel right, parents should feel comfortable asking questions and seeking further medical advice.

Because sometimes, a parent’s intuition notices what others cannot.

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Today, Florence is home with her family.

She is happy.

She is surrounded by love.

And after everything she has endured, she continues to remind everyone around her just how precious ordinary life can be.

A laugh in the living room.

A hug from Mum.

A playful moment with Dad.

A peaceful night at home.

Things that once seemed ordinary now feel extraordinary.

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Florence’s story is not only about a terrifying diagnosis.

It is about a mother who refused to stop asking questions.

A father who stood beside his daughter.

A little girl who endured more than any child should have to face.

And a family that continues to choose hope, even when the road ahead remains uncertain.

She is not just the little girl who once had a 30cm tumour.

She is Florence.

A daughter.

A fighter.

A happy little girl who has already overcome so much.

And her family will keep fighting beside her — one day, one smile, and one precious moment at a time. 💗🙏🎗️