A five-year-old girl was rushed to hospital with what seemed like a simple stomach ache before being diagnosed with a rare form of kidney cancer. Mia Courtney initially fell ill with a bug, but when her pain persisted, her mum Molly, 29, knew something was seriously wrong and took her to A&E.

During an ultrasound, doctors discovered a massive 11cm tumour on Mia's kidney, confirming it as a stage two Wilms tumour. Brave Mia underwent surgery to remove the tumour along with her kidney and is now facing six months of chemotherapy.

Molly, who is a stay-at-home mum from Tiverton, Devon, said: "We both got a sickness bug, but Mia's stomach pain got quite severe. We've had plenty of bugs in the past, but this was different. She just didn't look very well.

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"This is our new normal now and our lives have completely changed. I'd like to hope Mia, being so young, will feel normal one day again, but for me as a mum my mindset has completely changed now. I won't ever be the same person again after seeing what she's had to go through."

The illness struck just after 2024, and as Mia's condition worsened, Molly trusted her motherly intuition. Recalling that critical moment, Molly said: "That morning I looked at her and I thought 'there's something really wrong'."

Molly's was turned upside-down when a paediatrician, "deeply concerned" about her daughter’s symptoms, arranged an ultrasound that revealed a large tumour. With the diagnosis falling just before New Year's Eve, subsequent blood tests indicated an increase in white blood cells, confirming for doctors with high confidence that it was a Wilms tumour - a rare type of kidney cancer affecting young children.

Speaking about the moment of diagnosis, Molly recalled: "We got told on New Year's Eve that she had a tumour. Physically, looking at her, you couldn't tell. You couldn't see a bump, a rash, nothing. It was completely devastating. The worst thing you can be told as a parent."

In January 2025, Mia began chemotherapy to shrink the tumour before facing surgery, complicated by her condition known as horseshoe kidney, where both kidneys are joined. Despite this challenge, February 2025 saw Mia bravely undergo a seven-hour operation which successfully removed the tumour and the affected kidney. She must now endure another six months of chemotherapy to prevent the cancer's return.

The mother and daughter endure weekly trips to Exeter for chemotherapy with scant financial support. As Molly shared: "I was on maternity leave and my last pay was in December, so from diagnosis my pay dramatically dropped. It was horrible, having to rely on other sources."

The family has received financial support and gifts such as toys and chocolate from national charity My Shining Star, while the tot's close friend Bronnie Milton, 32, launched a GoFundMe to lend a hand. My Shining Star has been a constant source of support, covering some costs for Mia's care and treating her sisters with gifts.

Handing over a special hand-crafted teddy bear fitted with a faux picc line to mimic Mia's treatment tube, Bronnie shared: "I couldn't find anyone who makes bears who has a picc line fitted. I put a tube where the picc line is. Her little face lit up when I gave it to her and she took it to hospital when she had her kidney out."

Discussing the daunting experience of facing their daughter's health challenges, Molly said: "When you're going into something completely unknown that you've never had to deal with before, you don't even know where to turn. I think it's really important to have those people there to guide you."

The generous fundraising efforts aren't just meeting medical needs - they might also make a dream come true. Molly revealed plans for an enchanting trip: "She's a proper girly girl. She likes to dress up and dance around the kitchen twirling like a ballerina."

She added the intention behind the gesture: "A trip to Disneyland would be amazing because things like this show you how short life is and how quickly it can be taken from you. She's been so strong, brave and resilient that all you want to do is give her as many memories as possible."

Mia’s GoFundMe page .