My friend and inspirational campaigner Sacha Langton - Gilks, who works tirelessly to raise awareness about brain tumour symptoms in memory of her beloved son DD, shared an important stat from the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group just a few days ago. According to CCLG. the individual risk of a child getting cancer is 1:180 which is TEN times greater than the widely accepted definition of a ‘rare’ cancer. This stat will be similar to someone Jess’ age (just 27). Sacha is pushing the NHS to create a national symptoms cancer campaign for children. 

Sacha’s message, of course,  made me think of Jess and how woefully inadequate everyone (including her GP practice) were in recognising her red flag symptoms. We all know that cancer isn’t one disease, it can manifest itself in many different forms. It can start in almost any organ or tissue of the body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably. However, there are some red flag indicators. Jess experienced all of these: very heavy night sweats or fever, extreme fatigue, unexplained weight loss (>10kg body weight in 3 months), coughing, chest pain and breathlessness. Thanks to national campaigns, as parents, we are well versed in recognising the symptoms of meningitis. The overall annual incidence of acute bacterial meningitis in the UK is 1 per 100,000 population. As a parent, I was vigilant checking a rash faded when a glass was rolled over it. I knew vomiting, headache, neck stiffness, fever and a dislike of bright lights could be an indicator of this serious infection. It is a source of huge sadness and guilt I was not similarly cognisant with the symptoms of cancer. I never doubted for a moment the Doctors caring for Jess might not be aware either.

We will support Sacha’s national campaign to highlight cancer symptoms in children. Through this petition and Jess’ charity, Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust, we will continue to push for improved proactively amongst GPs in recognising and responding to red flag symptoms through Jess’s Law. 

Before I sign off, I wanted to thank you so much for sharing your responses from your MPs regarding Jess’s Law and their promises to highlight the issue with the new Secretary of State for Health, Wes Streeting. If you haven’t had the opportunity to write yet it isn’t too late! The template letter is in a previous update; it will only take a couple of minutes to copy, paste and send. Let’s make sure we keep up the pressure and the words ‘Jess’s Law’ is something Mr Streeting and the new government keep hearing. 

I have yet to hear from my new Labour MP, but I have received a response from Lord Darzi in his capacity as lead investigator in the independent investigation of NHS performance. I have been assured Jess’ case and our campaign will be fed back to the government. I await a response from Wes Streeting. I have written to him 3 times, twice when he was in opposition. I so hope he steps up and doesn’t disappoint.

As we find ourselves in the thick of another summer. Another one without beautiful, courageous Jess, I thought I would share this photo of smiling Jess on holiday just a few years before our world turned upside down and changed forever.