A 12-year-old girl died of a rare cancer after her parents spotted a sign when they watched her brush her teeth. While Beth Phelps got ready for bed, parents Ben, 48, and Aby, 49, noticed a “protruding lump” on her shoulder, visible under her t-shirt.
Tests at Jersey General Hospital revealed Beth had a 7cm tumour on her left lung and it was Ewing sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. After chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy, she was given the all-clear – only for it to return nine months later in her right lung.
Ben and Aby were offered a clinical trial, but chose palliative care to make “her time left as comfortable as possible” and she died 12 days before her 13th birthday. HR director Ben, from Jersey, is cycling from Land’s End, Cornwall, to John O’Groats, Caithness, Scotland, to raise money for the Bone Cancer Research Trust (BCRT).
“Our world in the blink of an eye was completely tipped upside down,” he said. “She had no symptoms that stood out. Beth was a healthy little girl.
“But she took all the treatment in her stride, despite being terrified of needles. When we were told her cancer had come back, we were shocked and heartbroken.
“We’d never heard of Ewing sarcoma before – that’s why I’m trying to raise as much money as I can, so we can find kinder treatments to help more people survive.
“Beth is my guiding light and inspiration always; this might be a tough physical challenge, but doesn’t compare to anything she endured. We miss Beth every day, and we are determined to make a difference in her name.”
They spotted the first lump in December 2020, prompting her GP to send them to A&E Jersey General Hospital, where Beth was given a CT scan, X-ray and MRI. On Christmas Day 2020 Beth began her first of four rounds of chemotherapy.
In May 2021, Beth underwent surgery to remove the tumour and the entire left scapula at Stanmore Hospital. Back at Southampton General Hospital, Beth received three more rounds of chemo before she underwent six weeks of radiotherapy at University College London Hospitals.
“This was agonising as a parent to watch,” Ben said. “The nursing and play staff were amazing at helping to keep her calm, but nothing prepares you for some of the procedures that take place in order to give treatment.”
After nine months of treatment, Beth was cancer-free and returned home. However, in June 2022, she started to experience pain in her right shoulder. The pain increased and an X-ray revealed that the cancer had returned to Beth’s right shoulder. On October 3, 2022, Beth died.
Ben said: “We had to make a decision whether to put Beth through a clinical trial, which meant more time away in hospitals and the possibility of never seeing home again. We chose palliative care and set out to make her time left as comfortable as possible, giving her the dignity and love that she so truly deserved.
“She took her last breath surrounded by me, Aby, the dog and our cat, Monkey. Beth was funny, quick-witted and beautiful. She is with me forever and especially on this challenge.”
Ben will cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats from June 22 to July 5.
Louise Everett, senior regional relationship manager at the BCRT said: “This is an incredibly inspiring challenge that Ben is taking on. We’re grateful that people like Ben want to keep raising vital funds and awareness so no other family has to go through what they went through.”
Ben’s fundraiser is on JustGiving.