A five-year-old girl has been diagnosed with leukaemia – eight years after her sister beat the disease.
The Miller family from Fraserburgh have found themselves going through the ordeal for a second time after daughter Imogen was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) in February after falling ill in December.
Parents Claire Bruce, 30, and Michael Miller, 33, have already seen older daughter Lacey, now eight, fight off Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) after she was diagnosed aged just seven months, in 2011.
Now in remission, Lacey will have to watch her younger sister go through the same battle.
Having never thought the disease would strike their family twice, Claire and Michael are hoping to raise other parents’ awareness.
Imogen is currently undergoing chemotherapy five days a week, having previously been admitted to hospital in several emergency situations.
She is only at the very start of her treatment, which will take two-and-a-half years to complete, having begun three months ago.
Mum Claire said: “You never really think something like that can happen to you twice.
“Our lives are now on hold again and it has been a hard pill to swallow.
“But of course we want Imogen to get better and will do anything to get there.
“It’s hard enough to go through with one child, but to go through it again and know what’s coming is worse.”
A fundraising page has been set up by Claire’s friend Lianne Robertson in a bid to help support the couple financially, with £5,000 raised within the first few days.
Both parents are self-employed, with Claire working as a baker and Michael as a builder.
Money raised will go towards fuel as well as food costs at the hospital cafe, home bills and other expenses.
A target of £10,000 has been set, with anything raised on top of this to go towards a family holiday.
The family have also received support from the charity Logan’s Fund, which provided the two girls with iPads to make the long journey from their home in Fraserburgh to hospital in Aberdeen more bearable.
Donations can be made at
bit.ly/2LpAYeN