Cassie and Kye's Story

A week before she was due to have reconstruction on her right breast in 2013, Cassie found a lump in her left breast. Again, she had a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy.  

Cassie had breast reconstruction on both sides and applied for the midwifery course again. However, when she found a lump on her chest wall in 2016, doctors told her it was incurable and she started chemotherapy tablets to manage the condition.  

In August 2017, she went to hospital for another round of cancer treatment and had a seizure. The next day, Kye started complaining of a headache and feeling unwell.  

At first, his family thought he was just feeling under the weather or worried about Cassie, but he started being disorientated, then had a seizure and started vomiting blood. That’s when they called an ambulance and he was rushed to Bedford hospital.  

Kye’s dad Arron said: “When Kye was taken to hospital, I was working in Canary Wharf, unaware of what had happened. When I received the news, it was the beginning of any parent’s worst nightmare.”  

An MRI scan diagnosed an aggressive brain tumour called glioblastoma, and Kye’s family were told the unbearable news that he only had a few weeks left to live. 

“There were a number of subsequent conversations and meetings about Kye's ongoing care, including whether resuscitation would be appropriate, MRI scans regarding tumours progression and ongoing consultation with Kye’s Oncologist team. Due to the unique circumstances with Cassie’s condition, it meant going to some of these alone”. 

Kye deteriorated rapidly; over the coming weeks, he lost sight in one eye and became unable to eat or drink. He tragically died on the 3rd November 2017. He was just nine years old. At this time, Cassie’s cancer had spread throughout her body. 

Arron said: In Kye’s final moments, I remember holding his hand, praying and speaking to him. Cassie had her hand on his chest and I remember she said, ‘His heart’s stopped’. He passed away peacefully with both his parents by his side."

Both Cassie and Kye had a rare genetic disorder in the TP53 gene that significantly increases the chances of developing multiple forms of cancer. During this time, Cassie’s cancer had started to grow again.  

Cassie, who was documenting her story on her YouTube channel, had surgery in 2018 followed by radiotherapy, however, a new lump appeared in June 2019. Scans showed the cancer had spread to her lungs, pelvis and ribs.  

She started chemotherapy again, but a scan in October showed further growth to her liver and spine. She decided to relocate to a hospice in Bedford to ensure she had the best possible care during this phase of her condition. 

Cassie died on the 8th March 2020 aged 32, two years after her son.  

Cassie’s mum Cathy said: “Cassie was always helping others and she wanted to raise awareness, so we want to carry on her wishes. Cassie was diagnosed with cancer five times and it was not the same cancer that came back – we want to support more research to find more treatments to help people.  

If sharing her story can help stop anyone else going through what we have, then it gives meaning to what has happened."