Emilie Sime celebrated her first birthday at home, cancer free, thanks to the wonderful team at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow (RHC).
Her mum, Kayleigh Sime (31), from Uddingston, was overwhelmed with emotion as Emilie rang the bell to signal the end of treatment on the Schiehallion Ward.
Emilie was diagnosed with a brain tumour when she was just three months old. In January 2024, Kayleigh noticed Emilie making strange faces. This was followed by shaking of her hands. She explained:
“We were set to go on holiday to Tenerife as a family, but I wasn’t content with the way Emilie was behaving. Her movements were really odd. I knew something was wrong and I wanted her checked out, especially given that we had plans to go to a different country. I needed to know she would be OK.”
Kayleigh and her husband, Blake Sime (30), took Emilie to the University Hospital in Wishaw who then transferred her to the RHC. It was thought that the movements Emilie was having were seizures, so she was given an electroencephalogram (EEG) to record her brain activity and sent for an MRI. Kayleigh said:
“That’s when they discovered that Emilie had a brain tumour. We were completely shocked. Emilie was admitted to Ward 3A, and plans were made to remove the tumour. We were introduced to Consultant Neurosurgeon, Mrs Emer Campbell and everything started moving from there.
“Emilie needed another MRI, was booked for surgery, and a line was fitted so that she could receive her chemotherapy.”
After surgery, Emilie spent three weeks in Ward 3A followed by the Schiehallion Ward where she then received chemotherapy every two weeks between March and September. She would stay at the hospital for three to five days each time.
Emilie soon had a team of specialists caring for her who made an incredible impact including Consultant Paediatric Oncologist Dr Jairam Sastry, Nurse Specialist Angela Howat, and what felt like a family of staff in between.
“It was such an intense time, but the hospital staff made life easier. They are amazing. I couldn’t fault one person. Everyone including facilities staff, doctors, nurses, the list goes on, made us feel welcome and kept us company during the long days. We saw the nurses so often that we started to make friendships with them and we’d be excited to see who was on shift and catch up with them. I cannot thank them enough.”
When asked how Emilie was through her treatment, Kayleigh responded:
“Emilie is a wee fighter, and she is our crazy baby. Perhaps it was because she was going through this at such a young age, but she just seemed to have so much resilience and continued to be a wild child. She just kept going and was happy all of the time. She would love the attention from all of the hospital staff too.”
Emilie’s treatment was originally meant to last 12 months. Kayleigh said:
“We couldn’t believe it when the medical team told us in September that Emilie’s cancer was gone and that she could stop treatment earlier than planned if she had her three-month check-ups. I was so shocked and overwhelmed that I sat there like a robot. It was unbelievable that our girl was ok.
“We got the news in September, just before Emilie’s first birthday in October. We certainly had something to celebrate!
“We couldn’t have done it without the staff at the RHC. Thank you.”
Mrs Emer Campbell said:
“We have multidisciplinary teams across Ward 3A and the Schiehallion Ward who all work together well to support patients and their families, so it is great to hear such kind words from Kayleigh about the care they received during Emilie’s time with us.
“We’re delighted to see Emilie respond so well to treatment and to be thriving. Now it’s time for her to go and enjoy time with her family and friends. We look forward to hearing her updates!”
