Teen's 'constant' itch mistaken for allergic reaction turns out to be cancer

After Niamh Fisher returned from a family holiday to Portugal, she started to get itchy skin all over her body.

“It was waking her up at night and she was clawing at her skin, “ explains her gran, Deborah Connell, 48. At a loss of what was causing it, the 15-year-old, from Bonkle, , visited her GP who suggested she keep an allergy diary.

Niamh, who is a huge beauty fan, she was using, as well as the food she ate, to try and weed out the cause. She even kept her distance from the family pets. But the ‘allergies’ were not subsiding - and Niamh would later learn that this was because she actually had cancer.

The teenager is now speaking out to urge others to “trust their gut” when it comes to their health, as she had suspected something deeper was wrong. However, it was only after sister Casey noticed a lump on neck, Niamh went to A&E.

After having a CT scan, biopsy and an ultrasound, Niamh was then transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Young Person’s Unit, where her diagnosis was confirmed on August 31.

Deborah, who is speaking on behalf of Niamh as she is currently undergoing chemotherapy, explained: “Niamh was one of the it girls – she’s beautiful, she’s stunning, but she doesn’t want anyone to see her because her hair’s all falling out.

“She’s always one with her fake tan, her lashes and her makeup, and she doesn’t have that now. She can’t even put her nails on or nail polish because of the chemotherapy, so that’s where she’s struggling. She’s got loads of friends and she doesn’t even want to see them, which is heartbreaking.

“Hopefully, it’s only going to be four or six months out of life and then she can go back to the person she was, go to her parties and wear fancy dresses.”

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Tragically, Niamh’s aunt Mhaired, 35, passed away last month after battling her mental health, so Deborah and her husband Brian, 65 - who are Niamh’s legal guardians - have launched ainspired by the “fantastic” staff at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Young Person’s Unit. It is both to honour the memory of Mhaired and support Niamh.

The couple shaved their head in support of ‘Brave the Shave’ on September 27, which was “emotional” yet “invigorating”, and they decided to start with a fundraising target of £250 for Teenage Cancer Trust. With more than £5,600 being donated so far, however, the couple have been “totally overwhelmed” by people’s generosity.

Now their focus is getting Niamh “back on track” and helping her “lead a happy and healthy life”, and Niamh said she wanted to issue the following message: “Trust your gut instinct. If anybody thinks that there’s something untoward with their body, even the smallest thing, check, check and check again,” Deborah said.

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