Young cancer patient Connie celebrates end of treatment
This is the magical moment four-year-old cancer patient Connie McKenna rang the end of treatment bell after two years of grueling treatment for leukaemia.
Surrounded by her family and friends the youngster beamed as she courageously walked through the corridor to applause from those who watched on, including staff.
The precious moment marks the end of her treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) at our Children’s Hospital, a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow which affects white blood cells and the most common childhood cancer.
Connie was only two years old when she was diagnosed with the rare disease after her mum Leanne noticed her skin looked yellow and she was struggling to lift her fork when having dinner.
Leanne, 36 from Kings Heath, said: “Connie had been under the weather for a few days, but I thought she was coming down with a cold until she had a funny turn one evening.
“Her lips went blue and she couldn’t lift up her fork, so we called 999 and took her to the nearest A&E.
“We didn’t know what had happened, I never considered it could be blood cancer.”
Connie had a blood test and was immediately transferred to our Children’s Hospital where the diagnosis was confirmed and she began chemotherapy within a week.
Leanne, who was pregnant at the time, recalled: “After she was diagnosed, it hadn’t really sunk in yet. Once she’d gone to sleep I looked it up online, and seeing in black and white that it was a form of cancer made everything feel real.
“The first week was a blur, everything happened so fast and all at once.
"The day they gave us her the full diagnosis of leukaemia, I went into labour and her baby sister arrived.
“Connie then had her first round of chemotherapy a few days later, but she got to meet her sister first which was really special.
“Looking back, I don’t know how I got through that first week, but Connie just handled everything so brilliantly."
After a few months of chemotherapy Connie had another bone marrow test to see how effective the treatment was, but there wasn’t a difference in the cancerous cells.
She was classed as high risk, so her dose was changed and she was eligible for medication through a research trial.
“It was really intense,” Leanne added. “She was on so many different medications and a randomised drug trial, which was designed to attack any cancer cells left after the treatment to prevent relapse.
“She was handling it all so well so we thought if she could have something that might help then it was worth it. We would try anything that had a chance of getting her better.”
Connie received six stages of chemotherapy over two years as well as blood tests every two weeks.
She spent most of her treatment time at home while travelling in for appointments, but her family had to be careful due to her weakened immune system.
Leanne recalled: “It was surprising how quickly it became normal.
“We spent two years in our own bubble because even the common cold could have meant she had to be hospitalised.
“The ward is like a second home for her, she knows all the nurses and really understands what’s going on.
“When she finished treatment in December 2025 it was a mix of emotions.
“We were so pleased that we’d made it this far, but it was scary going from having tests every two weeks to every four weeks. In the back of your head you’re constantly questioning things and going through the worst-case scenario.”
After two difficult years, Connie finally got to ring the bell to signal her end of treatment, watched by her mum, dad Sean and baby sister Niamh.
Since last September, she’s been able to start school too and is living like a regular four-year-old.
Leanne added: “She’s come so far, she’s really just amazing. She loves going to school and she’s even started gymnastics too.
“To look at her baby sister now and think Connie was her age when she was diagnosed is really crazy, it feels like a lifetime ago."
“We’re so thankful to the teams at the Children’s Hospital for everything, everyone was so kind to us in such a dark time we’ll always be grateful for what they’ve done for our family and for Connie.”
Watch the moment Connie rang her end of treatment bell on YouTube.