IF THE GP HAD SENT HER FOR SCANS SOONER, THEY MAY HAVE FOUND THE TUMOUR

abigail Solieri, 33, an events director, lives with husband chris, a digital marketing consultant, and their daughters — arianna, six, Mya, three, Zara, one, and threeweek-old raya — in Herts.

LAST July Arianna complained of upper back pain. Our GP suggested seeing an osteopath, who diagnosed muscle tightness. It wasn’t severe so we agreed it was down to her new bed.

The pain subsided but returned months later in the lower back. Arianna was at a party but wasn’t joining the other children on the bouncy castle because of pain. I called 111 who said they’d call back — it took 18 hours and in the meantime I’d taken her to A&E as she was screaming with pain.

A urine sample showed traces of blood. But one doctor thought it was OK and said: ‘I don’t know what you expect me to do?’

The next day she could barely walk. I took her to an urgent care unit where staff said she might have a kidney infection. I feel so angry and frustrated now for not demanding more tests.

We went to the GP the next day who sent us to the hospital. But they tried to say they couldn’t X-ray her: I was adamant and they did X-ray her pelvis, but not her back. If they had, we might have seen the tumour earlier.

At one point, A&E staff suspected sepsis and gave her antibiotics, but still sent us home.

Days later we were back in A&E. Her infection markers had doubled and she was vomiting. An ultrasound revealed she had a tumour on her left kidney.

It was neuroblastoma, a cancer that had spread to her bones, eye sockets and legs.

Arianna finished chemo in February, then had a stem cell harvest and is having more chemo before surgery, which will be risky as the tumour is wrapped around an artery. Even then there’s a high chance of relapse so we’re trying to raise funds for a vaccine that’s available in the U.S.

We call Arianna Wonder Woman because she’s an absolute trouper despite what she’s going through. But I’m angry that no one realised something was seriously wrong sooner. If the GP had referred us for blood tests or a scan the cancer might not have spread.

I should not have had to go to A&E eight times. We could have saved her so much pain.