Imagine losing your child to cancer because her symptoms were brushed aside simply because she was young. This is the heartbreaking reality for Mark and Michelle Sneddon, whose 17-year-old daughter, Isla, passed away in March 2025, just six months after being diagnosed with breast cancer. But here's where it gets controversial: they believe Isla's life could have been saved if she had been treated with the same urgency as an adult patient.
Isla’s journey began in July 2022 when she visited her GP with a lump in her breast. She was told it was likely benign, attributed to hormonal changes, and that she would ‘grow out of it.’ Fast forward two years, and Isla fell ill, leading to a hospital visit where cancer was suspected. An urgent referral for biopsies was made, but her parents claim it was downgraded to routine due to her age. This delay, they argue, allowed the cancer to spread undetected until it was too late.
By September 2024, after 10 weeks in the hospital, Isla was diagnosed with a sarcoma that had already metastasized to her lungs, lymph nodes, and the lining of her heart. The prognosis was devastating: six months to a year to live. Isla, a gentle soul who just wanted to live her best life, faced a battle no teenager should endure. Her father, Mark, shared the pain of unfulfilled dreams, like teaching her to drive or buying her first car.
Despite chemotherapy, Isla’s condition worsened, and she passed away in her parents’ arms in March 2025. Mark and Michelle are now advocating for Isla’s Law, a campaign to ensure children and young people in Scotland receive the same urgent care and diagnostic access as adults. They also demand a formal review of pediatric diagnostic delays to identify systemic failures and prevent future tragedies.
And this is the part most people miss: Michelle points out that Isla’s symptoms, often dismissed as anxiety due to her age, were actually signs of cancer. She argues that when a child presents with multiple symptoms like lumps, chest infections, or tonsillitis, GPs should deviate from standard guidelines and explore alternative pathways. Isla’s cancer, rare and aggressive, didn’t fit the typical mold, and a longer investigation, such as a mammogram or scan, might have saved her life.
The Sneddons acknowledge that Isla was an ‘outlier,’ but they’re determined to prevent other families from enduring similar heartbreak. Mark poignantly stated, ‘I never want another mother or father to feel the way Michelle and I feel.’
The family is set to meet with Health Secretary Neil Gray to discuss their concerns, though they’ve been told any legislative changes will have to wait until a new government is formed. Meanwhile, NHS Lanarkshire has expressed sympathy and assured the family that Isla’s treatment followed clinical pathways, though they remain open to further engagement.
But here’s the question that lingers: Should age ever be a reason to delay potentially life-saving investigations? And if not, what systemic changes are needed to ensure no child slips through the cracks? Share your thoughts in the comments—this is a conversation that demands our attention.
