I knew something was wrong with my daughter—the scan left me horrified

In 2025, my family and I were traveling, settling into our first home together, and enjoying life with three children. Everything felt so promising at the time, but within weeks, it all changed when my 4-year-old daughter was given a life-altering diagnosis.

When I look back, it is hard to say when the symptoms started. Of course, there were small signs for months, but they all seemed easy to explain. My daughter Ayla was always such an early riser, waking up at around 6 a.m. most days. But last year I noticed that she was sleeping in until 7:30 or sometimes 8 a.m., which was so unusual for her.

I also started to notice that she was falling asleep during short car journeys, she developed random hives that would come and go, she was eating less, appeared bloated, and complained of tummy pain. Her symptoms didn’t immediately point to something serious, so at first, I thought it was something much more common like constipation, food allergies, a virus or just a phase.

We sought medical advice multiple times throughout 2025 as different symptoms appeared. I saw an ENT for the redness under her eyes, and an allergist for the hives and constipation. She also had two blood tests that came back completely normal. At the time, the symptoms seemed unrelated. Looking back now, it’s obvious they were all pieces of the same puzzle, but when you’re living through it, each symptom can easily be explained by something far less serious, and her regular GP was not concerned.

There was also not a clear explanation that linked everything, and because many of her symptoms are common childhood complaints, cancer wasn’t suspected. I’ll probably always wonder if I should have noticed sooner or done something different. The truth is, none of these things screamed cancer at the time.

‘The Ground Disappeared Beneath Us’

In addition to the hives and fatigue, I also noticed some changes in Ayla’s behavior. She would sit out of play, her mood would fluctuate, and she became easily upset. It was all so unlike her.

Later in the year, I discovered a lump in her belly that immediately concerned me. My husband took her to urgent care where they reassured him that it was probably just constipation because she had the lump for 12 months. Nevertheless, I booked an appointment with the GP for the following morning to get a second opinion.

After feeling her abdomen, the GP was concerned that Ayla’s liver was enlarged. We went to the emergency department where she then underwent a bedside ultrasound scan and an X-ray. Those scans did not provide enough clarity, so Ayla needed more ultrasounds, further tests and a CT scan.

Those investigations were incredibly troubling, and Ayla was later admitted to hospital. Then came the fateful day in January 2026 when doctors told us that our wonderful daughter had stage 3 Intermediate Risk Wilms tumor, a rare kidney cancer that predominantly affects children.

There really aren’t words to adequately describe that moment. One minute you’re living a normal life, making plans and thinking about ordinary things, and the next you’re being told your child has cancer. It felt like the ground disappeared beneath us.

Though it is important to acknowledge that childhood cancer is incredibly rare, so doctors are statistically far more likely to see common childhood illnesses. I don’t believe anyone intentionally dismissed our concerns, but I do think parents know when something isn’t right.

‘Watching Your Child Fight Cancer Changes You’

Since her diagnosis earlier this year, Ayla has had four rounds of chemotherapy which shrunk the tumor from 11 centimeters to 6 centimeters, and then she underwent major surgery to remove her right kidney and the tumor. After the surgery, she had 16 days of radiation treatment. She has completed 14 weeks of her 27-week chemotherapy protocol and required a feeding tube to help maintain her nutrition throughout treatment.

Honestly, she is handling this experience far better than most adults would. Ayla has lost her hair, gone through surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, countless blood tests and hospital admissions, yet she still finds reasons to smile, play and be a child. Her resilience amazes me every day.

Seeing my daughter go through this is simply heartbreaking.

As a parent, every instinct you have is to protect your child from pain, but there are so many moments where you can’t fix it. You can’t take the needles, the side effects or the fear away. Watching your child fight cancer changes you forever. You learn to live in a world where you are grateful for things you never thought twice about previously, like a good blood result or seeing your child eat a meal. Knowing that she will have lifelong effects from the treatment is also very scary.

One thing I have learned is that childhood cancer doesn’t just affect the child, it impacts the entire family. It changes siblings, parents, relationships and every aspect of daily life. We’re incredibly grateful to the doctors, nurses and support services who have helped us through this journey. I also hope sharing Ayla’s story raises awareness for childhood cancer and generates more support for research, because every child deserves better treatment options and outcomes.

My message to parents is to trust your instincts. Parents know their children better than anyone else. Most of the time it won’t be cancer, but if you feel something isn’t right, keep asking questions and keep advocating.

Getting a diagnosis early matters and it can save lives.

Katie Cullen, 30, resides in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and three children. She has been documenting Ayla’s cancer journey on social media (@kcullenx on TikTok) as she hopes to educate others and raise awareness for Wilms tumor, the most common pediatric abdominal cancer.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Charlotte Nisbet and Emma Lee-Sang.