A “brave” Aberdeen toddler has learned to walk and talk again after being diagnosed with cancer over a year ago.
Molly Burnett was diagnosed with leukemia in November last year and has shown her fighting spirit ever since.
Molly, who is nearly three, is now in remission and has 18 months of chemotherapy left to go.
As she was diagnosed right before Christmas last year, she was forced to spend it in hospital.
Learned to walk again after 11 months
A year on, her parents, Nadia Hopkins and Lewis Burnett are not only thankful to have their daughter home, but are feeling blessed to have her on her feet again.
Molly has managed to walk again after going through almost 11 months of physiotherapy.
Speaking to the Press & Journal, her mum, Nadia explained: “She’s been walking since August.
“She didn’t walk for almost 11 months and we didn’t know if she’d have the strength to walk again but she proved everybody wrong and was so determined”.
Due to her diagnosis, Molly has been “forced to grow up quicker than she should have” says Nadia.
“It’s so much to go through from being in hospital around doctors and meeting strangers at such a young age.
“From not being able to walk and talk to slowly regaining that. It took months to get to where we’re at now and each day is still a struggle.
“Trying to keep Molly out of hospital at the moment is tough, she’s picking up so much bugs and her immune system is not great, so every bug we pick up, we end up in hospital.
“She’s a huge fighter and sometimes it’s Molly that gets me and Lewis through the day instead of us getting her through the day”.
Being “mummy’s little hero”, Nadia goes on to share how “Molly lights up every room she walks into”.
Adding: “Everybody puts a smile on their face when they see her. She loves dancing and singing, she’s born to be on stage.
“She’s fought through it all and came out on top every time”.
Molly has just come to her year milestone is is expected to finish treatment by June/July in 2025.
It’s been a long road for the family but Nadia shares how “things are starting to look a bit better” adding, “at the beginning it felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel, but now we are home, things are looking a bit better.
“Hopefully by June/July 2025 that will be us finished and able to say goodbye to this and close the door on it.
“We’ve come a year down the line, we can do another year and a half. It’s amazing to look back at how far she has come”.
Award for her bravery
Molly has also been recognised for her bravery as she has not only received a Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People Star Award, but is also now an ambassador for the organisation.
Receiving the award has made both her parents “so proud” of their daughter.
Nadia said: “It’s just amazing that they can do this for kids. She loved getting the star and felt so special that she had done something.
“She was so proud of it and we were so proud of her. For being so young, she is three on December 16, she’s got so much awareness, it’s unreal”.
Nadia and her family are extremely “happy” to make as much awareness of childhood cancer as they can, as she recalls not knowing much about it until Molly was diagnosed.
“To be honest, we didn’t know much about it until Molly was diagnosed and I think a lot of people are the same until you are in that circle, there’s not much out there”.
Molly turns three on December 16 and her mum hopes this year she can spend Christmas at home with her family.
Family planning trip to Disney in 2025
She added: “Here’s hoping we won’t be in hospital this Christmas. We’re hoping to have family Christmas”.
As Molly has always been too sick to have a meet and greet with Santa, her mum hopes that she can meet him this Friday.
“We’ve attempted to meet Santa three times in the last two weeks and every time she’s been in hospital.
“I hope she gets to meet Santa on Friday, she always says “Santa will give me a present”.
The family plan to take Molly to Disneyland in 2025 to mark her finishing her treatment.
“It will be a huge gift for her being so brave and strong though the whole thing and a huge relief for us all”.
