"Doctors saved my life in Sheffield and now I'm studying medicine"
19-year-old Harrison first visited Sheffield Children’s to receive treatment for a brain tumour when he was just ten years old. He was spurred on by the outstanding care delivered by the teams at the hospital, and now aspires to help others like him by becoming a medical professional.
“On A-level results day, I discovered that he had been successful in securing a place at the University of East Anglia to study medicine. It’s all because of the care I received during my time at Sheffield Children’s.
From the moment I first came here, staff members spoke to my mum, my dad and I and assured us that they had seen children in their care go on to do exciting things that they always wanted to do.
From that, I felt the motivation to pursue a career in medicine, and chose to take A-levels in maths, chemistry and biology at Wyke Sixth Form College in Kingston upon Hull.
The first time I felt something was off, I was only 10 years old. One of my friends kicked a rugby ball high into the air. I jumped up to try and catch it and it hit my head. It was a bit confusing because I thought I was going to catch it, so I went to hospital thinking that I had a concussion.
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After some tests, I was told that he had a medulloblastoma, a cancerous brain tumour that develops in the cerebellum, an area at the back of the brain.
I was given the all-clear after an intense course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and had to return regularly for check-ups for eight years.
Vicki Lee, a consultant oncologist at the hospital, was amazing in supporting me the whole way through my treatment, and even pointed me in the right direction in preparing for a career in medicine.
I also really created a strong relationship with the physiotherapy team at Ryegate. I get on really well with them and I’m so grateful that their care meant that I could walk again.
To this day, they still help us and provide an absolutely amazing level of support. They go the extra mile, and I can’t give them enough credit.
I found myself back in hospital in 2021 when I had a stroke, and lost feeling across the right-hand side of my body.
It was actually really nice to see the physiotherapy team again, even though I’d just had a stroke.
Continuing to take part in sport was a real comfort during my treatment, especially taking part in events like Do it for You Day. I really appreciated that members of staff put on that day for us.
The doctors encouraged me to keep exercising, so I kept playing football with my dad and brother.
The tumour can affect coordination and processing speed, so that helped me keep up those skills, and it helped me get through it mentally too.
My whole family has been amazing during the past eight years. When I first came out of my operation, my brother made me laugh straight away, and I just knew that everything was going to be OK.
He made sure not to treat me differently just because of my condition, which I think really helped me. Mum has been here throughout the whole thing, always by my bedside and making sure that I’m keeping up with taking my medicine, and my dad being his usual self kept me going too.
I think it’s really important that other children and parents know that there is something beyond finishing treatment.
I’d just say to dream big, and don’t let this type of experience hold you back - use it as inspiration. That’s what I did, and hopefully I’ll go on to do something amazing.”