The mother of a mischievous schoolgirl who lost her battle with cancer at the age of just eight has told how the "little actress" always had a smile on her face and fought to the very end .
Mum Ria Findlay, 36, was left heartbroken when her eldest daughter Georgia was diagnosed with metastatic Wilms' tumour last year. After a gruelling battle, the Hartshorne Primary School pupil died on July 8 surrounded by her family.
Now Ria, from Hartshorne, has paid tribute to her "little star" and thanked those who did all they could during her darkest hours.
Ria, who is also mum to Matilda, five, said there were no warning signs that Georgia was ill and even after her shock diagnosis, her positive attitude meant that "if she had hair and you saw her in the street you would not have known she was ill".
She said: "It was February 2016 and she had just turned seven. We went to soft playwith friends and after a while she complained her stomach was hurting. I looked at it and I was taken aback. It was sticking out a lot, it looked like she had banged herself and the muscle wall of her stomach had given way. The tumour was so big the muscles could not contain it any more.
"She hadn't been poorly or in any pain so I took her to the doctors the next day and they sent her for blood tests at Burton hospital, because she wasn't in any pain they referred her to Derby so she had to wait. I tried not to worry and I was just waiting for some answers.
"I went to tuck her in one night and she started stirring and crying saying it was hurting. I took her to Burton A&E but they said the results would be a while so we went to clean out our horses and watched the sun come up before going back to the hospital.
"Deep down I already knew what it was and the doctors confirmed it five days after Georgia flagged up her poorly tummy. It was a horrendous blur. The doctors said that it was one of the most treatable tumours and can be quite responsive, but that was before they discovered she had stage four cancer in her kidney that had already spread to her lungs. It was much more advanced and spreading. They had to move quickly."
Georgia responded well to the chemotherapy and Ria did all she could to keep things as normal as possible.
She said: "The chemo' did shrink the tumour and the response was good but when she had the operation to remove the tumour she ended up in intensive care with a collapsed lung.
"It was a bit strange because she didn’t feel unwell at first so her immune system was fighting the chemotherapy, but she had a few bouts of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and coped quite well."
Despite her struggles, Georgia continued to go to school when she felt up to it and had more than 80 per cent attendance.
Ria said: "I always let her choose when she went to school and she made it clear from the beginning that she was not going down without a fight. She loved to see her friends and teachers, and it always cheered her up.
"We always kept it as positive as possible because I wanted her to be like a normal eight-year-old and it was also important to keep things normal for Tilly who was really small at the time.
"I never told Georgia everything, she knew she was poorly but an eight-year-old doesn't need to know the severity of that and I didn't want to frighten her."
Ria said Georgia was still her usual "drama queen" self despite her deteriorating health and her love for animals and tap dancing shone through.
She said: "She was obsessed with horses and had two of her own, Maisie and Sampson, she was very pink and sparkly and it didn't matter what she was going through, it was always the Georgia show.
"She was a mischievous and typical eight-year-old with everything going for her and even when she was poorly she could throw a magnificent strop, but that was the drama queen in her coming out."
Then in November Georgia had some good news when she finally marked the end of her treatment by ringing a special bell on the hospital ward to mark the occasion.
Ria said: "It was lovely. All the scans up until that point were really promising - and then the follow-up scan showed it was back again in the kidney area.
"Georgia had to have another operation on December 23 when a blood clot formed above her heart then at Christmas we were told it was terminal. Our hearts were broken."
Ria said the doctors "threw everything they could" at the cancer and even tried putting Georgia on an American trial drug.
She said: "She had relapsed on treatment. You still cling on to percentages and what not, and we threw everything we had at it. Georgia looked tired at times but she ploughed through. I don’t know where she got the stamina from, she kept me going."
Then in May Georgia took a turn for the worse and her family was told "it was a case of keeping her comfortable."
Ria said: "The consultant, Bruce, was amazing and we stayed at Birmingham Children's Hospital because Georgia was comfortable there. He told Georgia she shouldn’t be riding her horses and she politely told him where to go. She carried on but I think he already knew he was fighting a losing battle with that one.
"Georgia really wanted to go to Disneyland so we tried to fast track her treatment to give her that wish but she passed away before we could.
"We wanted her to enjoy life and did everything we could so that she could live life to the fullest. We already knew what was coming and we didn't want her suffering any more, so we stopped the treatments that were making her sick; what was the point? We had endless trips together and made memories and her final week was amazing.
"It was her sister's birthday so we had her friends and family round and although she was not allowed to swim, she donned a wetsuit in that last week and doctors let her take a dip so she could tick it off her bucket list.
"She went to the Hartpury dressage show and had a carriage ride around the village with her friends, she loved it. She nosedived very quickly after that, the doctors told us she had weeks but she only had days."
On July 8, Georgia died at Birmingham Children's Hospital, surrounded by her family.
Ria said: "I don’t believe she suffered. She didn't seem to be in any pain. She was fighting but she always fought and she finally relaxed with the medicine. It was the right time and she slipped away peacefully; there was no struggle."
Ria said she will never forget her little girl and her "zest for life" which made people fall in love with her.
She said: "She had this indescribable energy and this zest for life. I will never forget her beautiful red hair, her attitude to life and her braveness. I was so proud that she was my little girl and I was her mummy."
Ria said the support she has received had been amazing and she wanted to say a thank you to all of those who did all they could for Georgia.
She said: "I want to say thank you to all the staff at Birmingham Children's Hospital who did everything they could for Georgia, it became a second home to us. The staff at the school were amazing as were the Derby KITE team, and I want to thank all of those who have offered help and support throughout this difficult time it has meant so much to us."
A charity auction in memory of Georgia, which was set up by family friend Craig Hill, raised £2,200.
What is Wilms' tumour?
Wilms' tumour is a type of kidney cancer that was named after Dr Max Wilms, who first described it. It is thought to develop from immature cells in the embryo. These cells are involved in the development of the child’s kidneys while they are in the womb.
The cells usually disappear at birth, but in many children with Wilms’ tumour, clusters of primitive kidneys cells, called nephrogenic rests can still be found.
Causes of the tumour
In most children, the causes of Wilms' tumour are unknown. Very rarely, people who develop Wilms' tumour have other specific conditions which are present at birth (congenital malformations). These include the lack of an iris in the eye (aniridia), abnormalities of the genitals, and a condition where one side of the body is slightly larger than the other (hemihypertrophy).
In one in 100 people with Wilms' tumour, another family member will also have Wilms' tumour. However, genetic factors only account for a small number of children with kidney cancer.
Signs and symptoms of the tumour
The most common symptom is a swollen abdomen, which is usually painless. Sometimes a parent or carer may feel a lump in the abdomen which can be quite large. Occasionally, the tumour may bleed slightly and this can irritate the kidney and may be painful. There may be blood in your child’s urine, or their blood pressure may be raised. The child may feel tired, and also have a high temperature (fever), upset stomach, weight loss or a lack of appetite.
How Wilms' tumour is diagnosed
A variety of tests and investigations may be needed to diagnose a Wilms' tumour.
An abdominal ultrasound scan is usually the first thing that is done. This will be followed by an MRI and/or CT scan of the abdomen and chest. These scans help doctors to identify exactly where the tumour is, and whether it has spread beyond the kidney. This is known as staging. Urine and blood samples will also be taken to check your child's kidney function and general health. Most children will go on to have a biopsy, where a sample of tissue is taken from the tumour to confirm the diagnosis.
Charity auction raises £2,200 in Georgia’s memory
A Swadlincote dad inspired by the strength of family friend Georgia Findlay, raised an impressive £2,200 in honour of the schoolgirl.
Craig Hill, 37, came up with the idea for the charity auction after he learned that Georgia, a girl he met through his mother’s dancing classes, died in June.
Dad-of-three Mr Hill, said Georgia's illness meant she had to stop dancing, and he was "extremely saddened" to hear the news.
He said: "My mum runs the Rainbow Tappers group and Georgia used to go along. I would compere the shows and do some photography so I got to know Georgia before she fell ill. She was a character and she had the biggest of smiles right up until her last day here.
"The cancer was terminal and it was devastating to hear that she died at the age of eight. My daughter is a similar age and I can't even imagine what it must be like for her family, so I wanted to do something to show that we remember her."
Mr Hill, who has done some fund-raising in the past said he had been inspired to "become more charity orientated" when one of his best friends lost his daughter to meningitis.
The sales executive said: "I can't imagine what Georgia’s family is going through and nobody should have to go through the pain they have suffered, but if we can give them the smallest bit of happiness and normality that is all I can hope for.
"I could not think of a nicer more worthy family to help. We just want to show them that we are here. It is incredible how people come together at times like this."
The auction, which took place on September 2 at Newhall Village Hall, saw the proceeds split and donated to Cancer Research UK and Georgia's family so that they can use it to do something nice.
