Sunday People

GIRL’S WORDS OF HOPE TO ROYAL

- JENNIFER HYLAND PATRICK HILL

EXCLUSIVE BY and

THE Princess of Wales last night received a touching message of support from a young girl she befriended and helped through her own battle with cancer.

Mila Sneddon, eight, who struck up a heartwarmi­ng relationsh­ip with Kate, said: “She will be brave because I was and she will fight it like I did.”

Mila’s mum, Lynda, also had warm words for the royal, saying: “She is a mum, a wife, she is young, beautiful, athletic and she is facing this. It shows cancer doesn’t discrimina­te, it can affect anyone at any time. We wish her a peaceful and speedy recovery.”

Mila was given a boost during her illness by Kate, who asked if they could meet after seeing a striking photograph of the sick little girl gazing at her father, Scott, through a window while having chemothera­py during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The picture was chosen to feature in Kate’s photograph­y book Hold Still: A Portrait of

Our Nation in 2020.

And the Princess was last night in

Mila’s thoughts, as she said: “I hope she feels better soon and I wish her a speedy recovery.”

Diagnosed with acute lymphoblas­tic leukaemia aged four,

Mila was declared free of cancer two years ago. The all-clear came after twice meeting Kate, including at the annual Westminste­r Abbey Christmas Concert, where she was invited to read a prayer in 2021. Mila met the mum-ofthree for the first time earlier that year at Edinburgh’s Holyroodho­use, where Kate wore Mila’s favourite colour, pink, at her request and got a butler to serve her cereal when she said she was hungry.

Lynda, 40, said: “Kate’s statement came out on Mila’s two-year anniversar­y in remission. Mila turned to me and told me she wanted to make and send Kate a card. “So Mila will make contact in her own private

 ?? ?? ALL CLEAR Mila is now free of cancer
ALL CLEAR Mila is now free of cancer

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