Girl thought her itchy legs was an allergic reaction - but it was something far worse

A teenage girl who was diagnosed with after suffering from an "unbearable" itch, initially thought to be an allergic reaction, is now telling others to "trust your gut instinct".

Deborah Connell, 48, and her husband Brian, 65, are the legal guardians of their 15-year-old granddaughter Niamh – described as a "stunning" and "healthy girl" beauty enthusiast. In June, Niamh began experiencing a "constant itch" all over her body, which her GP initially suggested might be due to an allergy or intolerance, advising her to keep a diary of her food and beauty products.

However, the itching intensified to the point where she couldn't sleep and was "clawing at her skin". When a lump appeared in her neck overnight, they took her to A&E, leading to a series of tests that confirmed in August.

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She is now undergoing chemotherapy. The family, from Bonkle, , suffered another blow when Brian’s daughter Mhaired – Niamh’s aunt – passed away at 35 on September 10 due to mental health and alcohol issues, which was "devastating". To support Niamh and honour Mhaired, Deborah and Brian have launched a GoFundMe page and participated in ‘Brave the Shave’, shaving their heads to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust.

Deborah, who is speaking on behalf of Niamh, has spoken of the teenager's struggle: "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."

Deborah said she and Brian are legal guardians for Brian’s daughters’ kids – Casey, 16, Niamh, 15, and Jacob, 12, and Mhaired’s two daughters Kathleen, 14, and Lucy, six. Although she is not their biological mother, Deborah said the children are the couple’s “whole life”.

"I might not have carried them in my own body, or given birth to them, but by God I absolutely worship the ground that they walk on," recounted Deborah. Deborah and the three older girls – Casey, Niamh and Kathleen – went to Portugal in June this year for a holiday after seeing P!NK in concert and they had “an absolute ball”. But upon returning, Niamh began experiencing an intense itchiness.

"She hadn’t been feeling right for some time, but it was more of a constant itch – her whole body was itching all the time," Deborah explained. "It was waking her up at night and she was clawing at her skin, so we took her to the GP and they took some blood and her folic acid level was low, so she was prescribed folic acid for three months."

With no improvement after three months and the itching becoming "unbearable", her GP suggested she keep a diary of her food intake and beauty products and she stay away from the cat Leyla and dog Beau. However, after Casey noticed a large lump in Niamh’s neck, the family took Niamh to the A&E department at University Hospital Wishaw and she was then referred to University Hospital Monklands.

After having a CT scan, biopsy and an ultrasound, Niamh was then transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Young Person’s Unit, where her Stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis was confirmed on August 31. Speaking about the impact of the diagnosis, Deborah said: "They’re not my biological children, but nobody in this Earth would ever love any of them as much as I do."

"Both Brian and I eat, sleep and breathe the five of them, but when someone tells you something like that, you can’t breathe. It was the worst feeling in the because it’s totally out of your control. You can’t do anything, you can’t help them, all you can do is hold their hand."

Doctors told the family Niamh’s treatment would involve four 28-day cycles of chemotherapy, of which she has completed two so far. Although she has struggled with the change in her appearance and she is missing school and her friends, Deborah said she has been “phenomenal” throughout.

"She looks in the mirror and she doesn’t see herself, which is absolutely heartbreaking, but she knows who she is and who she wants to be," Deborah said. "We believe she will be that person and she will achieve everything in her life with us behind her 100%. She will forever be my hero."

Just over a week after Niamh's diagnosis, Deborah and Brian were informed of the passing of his daughter Mhaired, leading to a memorial service at Dalziel Park Hotel & Club. Motivated by the "fantastic" staff at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Young Person’s Unit and in memory of Mhaired, as well as in support of Niamh, the couple launched a GoFundMe campaign.

They participated in ‘Brave the Shave’ on September 27, an experience they found both "emotional" and "invigorating", initially aiming to raise £250 for Teenage Cancer Trust. With donations surpassing £5,600, they've been "totally overwhelmed" by the outpouring of support.

Now, their goal is to help Niamh "back on track" to a happy and healthy life. Niamh wishes to convey this message: "Trust your gut instinct." Deborah said: "If anybody thinks that there’s something untoward with their body, even the smallest thing, check, check and check again,".

"With regards to life, yes, everybody has ups and downs, everybody has heartache, everybody has troubles, that’s just life, but by God you only get one chance in life. You dance as hard as you can to the tune that’s being played, and you make your life as happy as you possibly can, because it’s so short and it’s so tough. We’re trying to dance to get our girl back on track and we’ll dance as hard as we can."

For those who wish to contribute or learn more, they directed to the fundraising website: gofundme.com/f/team-niamhy.