A young girl’s battle with leukaemia was made easier by the success of a racehorse trained by her father. Betsy Williams, then aged five, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in February 2023 and immediately admitted to Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales in Cardiff. Within two days of diagnosis, chemotherapy had begun. The first six weeks of treatment are regarded as particularly difficult and Betsy’s personality and appearance changed due to steroids. However, just six weeks into the treatment, Betsy’s father’s horse Kitty’s Light won the Scottish Grand National, providing the family with joy amid the suffering of illness. The win was the “kick up the bum” the family needed, according to Betsy’s mother, Charlotte.
Charlotte spoked of her resilience throughout Betsy’s health battles. “Part of it is that you’ve got no choice,” she said. “At the start I crumbled a little bit but you’ve got to change your mindset and it was finding the positives in every day… that’s still what gets me through.” Betsy is now in the maintenance phase of her treatment, which will continue until May. She receives daily oral chemotherapy, monthly chemotherapy through her under-the-skin portacath device, and a lumbar puncture every three months. Her hair has started to grow back, she is back at school and she is able to play with her older sister Tilly once again.
Charlotte has returned to work as a physiotherapist, stating that the entire ordeal has changed her outlook on life. “Nothing will ever worry me ever again,” she stated. “Nothing’s more important in life than your children, your family being well and healthy and happy. Anything else can be sorted out.” While Charlotte said she still cries a lot, she refuses to feel sorry for her family. “I’ve never felt ‘why us’,” she said. “Because it’s got to happen to somebody… they were just the hands that we were dealt and we’ve got to deal with it the best that we can.” Betsy is supported by the bonds she has formed with other children being treated at Noah’s Ark and the close friendships her parents have formed with their parents
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