Sophie Claxton was just 16 years old and in her first year at college when what seemed like a nasty bout of flu turned out to be something far more serious.
The Burnley teenager was struggling to get out of bed, and her temperature had shot up, prompting her mum to take her to the GP. Doctors initially suspected sepsis and sent her straight to A&E for tests.
From there, things moved quickly, and Sophie was transferred to the Christie Hospital in Manchester, where a bone marrow biopsy revealed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
"It was such a huge shock being told I had cancer. I could hardly take in the news as I was only 16," Sophie said, describing herself as "shell-shocked" by the diagnosis.
Sophie's diagnosis left her shell-shocked
|CANCER RESEARCH UK
Sophie was already so unwell when she received her diagnosis that she ended up in critical care on her very first night at the Christie, and began chemotherapy immediately.
Over the next seven weeks, she underwent regular blood and platelet transfusions, finding herself in the intensive care ward four times.
By the time she was finally able to go home for Christmas 2022, her weight had dropped to just 6st 1lb.
Sophie also lost her hair and was forced to take a year out from her studies at Shuttleworth College while focused on fighting for her life.
But things started looking up in summer 2023 when Sophie moved into the maintenance phase of her treatment.
And subsequently in March, she rang the all-clear bell, marking the end of her chemotherapy.
Now 19, the former Shuttleworth College pupil is studying criminology at Manchester Metropolitan University.
"I'm coming through the other side now and already loving life at uni," she said.
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She will need ongoing check-ups and will be assessed by doctors when she turns 20 to determine whether her treatment has affected her fertility through an egg count.
Sophie's mum, Michelle Bebb, nominated her daughter for one of Cancer Research UK's national Star Awards when she was first diagnosed, and her two younger sisters also received certificates for their courage and support.
"We were devastated to be told Sophie was so poorly. It was hard on us, her sisters included," Michelle said.
"At the time, we just had to get through it the best we could in the eye of the storm. But, in some ways, I now worry more about her and every time she has a cough or cold, I feel very anxious.
Doctors initially put Sophie's symptoms down to sepsis
|CANCER RESEARCH UK
"But we're incredibly proud of her determination and the fact that she has just kept going no matter what."
For Sophie, making sense of the past three years remains a work in progress.
"I still struggle to process what has happened to me," she admitted.
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