Yahoo News Newborn's purple spots turned out to be two types of cancer - but she's now thriving
The purple spots that appeared all over a Turriff newborn's body turned out to be signs of two different types of cancer. Little Amelia Topas, six, was born weighing 6lbs 12oz healthily before doctors noticed her skin marked with purple spots.
Unsure of the exact cause, medics initially speculated that it could be birthmarks, liver issues, or potentially blueberry muffin syndrome - a very rare condition in which a baby is born with purplish spots and is occasionally associated with leukaemia.
After putting Amelia through several medical examinations consisting of an ultrasound scan, lumbar puncture and MRI, parents Kerri Paton, 27, and Igor Topas, 28, received the devastating news that their daughter had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and acute myeloid leukaemia.
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The three-week-old infant began chemotherapy treatment immediately followed by a bone marrow transplant and after eight months she was announced in remission.
However, the joy was short lived when just six months later, the family discovered Amelia had relapsed in acute myeloid leukaemia. More cancer treatments ensued including another round of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant leveraged from a US sourced umbilical cord.
But there is a happy turn in this tale as Amelia has been living cancer free for five years now and, as per the words of her mother, she is "absolutely amazing", reports the Mirror.
Reflecting on the initial moments after Amelia's birth, supermarket employee Kerri, from Turriff, Aberdeenshire, recalled: "Once she was in my arms I just cried. I was so happy. I didn't notice anything. The midwife noticed the spots all over her and went to get a doctor. I was told it could be one of three things. It could be birthmarks, something wrong with her liver or blueberry muffin syndrome which could be linked to leukaemia."
Kerri was shocked when she was diagnosed with two different brain tumours. Doctors 'saved her smile' after she underwent surgery to remove the tumours.
Kerri met her partner Igor in February 2017 and they were shocked when they fell pregnant four weeks later. She had a normal pregnancy and Amelia was born naturally on November 27, 2017 at 7.25pm.
Doctors noticed something wasn't quite right and tests revealed Amelia had two types of cancer. She started on chemotherapy to get rid of the acute myeloid leukaemia.
Kerri said: "She was so little and tormented and going purple from crying. After the first round of chemotherapy the lumps and spots were gone."
Amelia had a bone marrow transplant in June 2018 and was told she was cancer free at eight months old. The family had hoped to find some normalcy after welcoming their second child, Oscar, now five, in October 2018.
But in February 2019, after a check up, Kerri was told Amelia's cancer had returned. Kerri said: "Igor was on the way with Amelia and I had a phone call to say 'I think best you can come in as well'. I just knew it had come back."
Doctors were able to find treatment for Amelia and she underwent three rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in June 2019.
Kerri said: "Watching your kid sick - it was horrible. It [the transplant] went smooth sailing."
Miraculously Amelia pulled through and is now a happy and healthy six year old. Kerri said: "She's slightly delayed. She's slightly delayed in her speech. She's just so funny."
"She's fiercely independent. She's very strong-willed. She looks like a normal child now. We got quite lucky that she was so young. She's so young she won't remember. Even though she went through cancer, her story doesn't end there."
