Child cancer task force after Gosport mum's call for action

Sophie's mother Charlotte Fairall said the task force shows that her daughter's "memory is still carrying on."

A grieving mother has successfully lobbied the government to set up a task force for children with cancer.

Charlotte Fairall's 10-year-old daughter Sophie died from a rare form of soft tissue cancer in 2021 - a year after she was diagnosed with the disease.

Mrs Fairall, from Stubbington, Hampshire, has campaigned for more to be done to tackle children's cancer.

She said the new task force allowed her daughter's memory to carry on.

Mrs Fairall said her daughter "had a zest for life" and "lit up a room".

Describing how difficult it was to let her child go, she said: "You want them out of pain, but you don't want them to go either.

"I wouldn't wish it on anyone and I think part of me went with her."

Charlotte Fairall, said her daughter "lit up a room" and had "a zest for life."

Sophie made a bucket list, before she died which included cooking with Gordon Ramsay, but also raised thousands of pounds to improve conditions for children in hospital.

After her daughter's death Mrs Fairall campaigned across the country, determined to focus her grief on bringing about change in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancers.

Her local MP Dame Caroline Dinenage secured the first ever debate on the subject in the House of Commons.

At the time Dame Caroline told the Commons Sophie's bucket list "included lots of fabulous things" such as having a pair of high heels and cooking with Ramsay.

"But Sophie's list was very special because she also wished for improvements in the way that we look after others who are in the same position as herself," she said.

Sophie wanted more play specialists in hospitals, and better hospital food for children and for the parents who often did not get to eat.

She asked for a new "childhood cancer mission" to bring together the "brightest and the best" to change things for the better.

Sophie Fairall achieved her dream of meeting chef Gordon Ramsay

Now the government has set up the first children and young people cancer task force in England.

Mrs Fairall believes the task force is a positive step and she thinks her daughter would be proud of this change.

Going forward she would like to see action to introduce national signs and symptoms campaigns, training courses for doctors and increased research.

Professor Sam Behjati is one of the members of the task force and wants more to be done on early diagnosis

The group includes doctors, scientists, charities, the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry.

Prof Sam Behjati, from the the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, is one of the members of the task force.

He thinks more needs to done to spot cancer in children earlier.

He said: "I think one of the key issues we have is around early diagnosis.

"When we see children with cancers in hospital they almost always have very advanced cancers."

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