Mother Says Doctors Blamed Son’s Sickness on Anxiety; It Was Cancer
Amy-Jessica Millard, 43, of Aldershot, England, says doctors put her autistic son Theo's vomiting down to anxiety after her own breast cancer treatment. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma on October 14. She urges parents to trust their instincts.
Amy-Jessica Millard, 43, from Aldershot, Hampshire, in England, says doctors told her that her son Theo's sickness was anxiety, before he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, on October 14. She is now urging parents to "trust their instincts" when they know something is wrong.
Millard was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2024. She had surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and finished treatment in April 2026.
Her son Theo has autism and severe anxiety. She said he became "very, very worried" that he had cancer when she was diagnosed.
From vomiting to a diagnosis
Two months after her treatment ended, Theo began vomiting "out of the blue" and lost his appetite. That was in June 2026. Millard said she took him to the GP a couple of days after it started because she knew it was not a virus.
After several GP visits, Theo was referred to a hospital paediatrician. Millard said the paediatrician saw him in August and said it was likely anxiety, but would arrange an ultrasound to rule anything out.
While the results were pending, she arranged counselling for Theo through a local children's support organisation. During those sessions he developed back pain, body aches, abdominal tenderness, a fever, chills and night sweats.
At a follow-up appointment on October 7, the GP noticed an enlarged lymph node on Theo's neck. The GP referred him back to paediatrics.
An ultrasound and an MRI scan followed. The ultrasound showed multiple lymph nodes around his abdomen, and doctors confirmed Hodgkin lymphoma on October 14.
"When they [doctors] said to me 'it's cancer' I didn't react, because I already knew," Millard said.
What happens next
The family does not yet know Theo's treatment plan. Millard said they are still waiting for the full results, and that doctors have not yet identified the subtype of Hodgkin lymphoma.
She said Theo has taken the news calmly. "He said, 'I've seen you go through it and I know I'll get through it as well'," she said. "He's so brave."
Millard, a stay-at-home mother of three, said she knows what lies ahead for her son. "I know exactly what he's feeling - the anticipation and the worry - but also I know how ill it's going to make him," she said.
Take the quizWhat Kind of Holiday Spender Are You? Take the Black Friday QuizStart →- 1Mavericks Surfers Race to California for Waves Near 50 Feet
- 2I’m A Celebrity 2026 Line-Up: Rooney Leads 11 Stars Into Jungle
- 3NYC Medical Examiner Has Not Determined Cause of Death of Beau Rose Jessup
- 4Mountaineer Finds Ice Age Cave Bear Graveyard in the Dolomites
- 5Rugby League World Cup Final 2026: Kick-Off Times and How to Watch Kangaroos v New Zealand
Lifestyle7 Signs Your Social Battery Is Running Low (and Why You Keep Cancelling Plans)
Lifestyle · Food & HealthThanksgiving Food Safety: How Long Leftovers Last and the Safe Turkey Temperature
Lifestyle7 Quiet Habits of Emotionally Intelligent People, According to Psychologists
LifestylePeople Who Don’t Like Celebrating Their Birthday Often Share These 7 Traits
