Childhood cancer survivor reunites with ‘life-changing’ nurse 30 years later

‘She showed me that children are children no matter what is wrong with them’

Liz Brown was cared for by nurse Debbie Brown when she was diagnosed with aggressive osteoblastoma at 14 years old ( SWNS)

A woman who suffered from cancer as a teenager has reunited with the “life-changing” nurse who cared for her - 30 years later.

Liz Brown, a 43-year-old mother of three from East Riding, Yorkshire, was diagnosed with aggressive osteoblastoma, a rare form of bone tumour, when she was 14 years old.

Ms Brown received the diagnosis having woken up paralysed on her 14th birthday.

Ms Brown was admitted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge in 1989, where she was told that she shouldn’t expect to survive into adulthood.

While being monitored at the hospital, Ms Brown was looked after by a kind nurse called Debbie Bye.

Ms Brown has never forgotten the diligent care that Ms Bye provided during her time of need.

“My prognosis was very poor,” Ms Brown said. “I wasn’t expected to live more than five years, but now I’m 43 with three children and there’s not a wheelchair in sight.

Liz Brown was told at 14 that she shouldn't expect to survive into adulthood (SWNS)

“She might have thought she was doing her job but it went above and beyond that.

“I remember watching Debbie work and being so inspired by the way that she did things.

“She showed me that children are children no matter what is wrong with them and she treated us all the same”

Ms Bye inspired Ms Brown to work with children when she grew up, which she has done by working with children who have autism and hearing impairments.

The childhood cancer survivor always wondered what had happened to the nurse over the years, which is why she decided to put a call out on Twitter.

Ms Brown tweeted an appeal to find Ms Bye, with her tweet being shared more than 1,000 times.

Her feat proved successful, as the two women were eventually able to make contact thanks to the power of social media.

Liz Brown put out on an appeal on Twitter to find nurse Debbie Brown who provided her with care when she was diagnosed with cancer at 14 years old ( SWNS) (SWNS)

“To be there when Lizzy was given her prognosis was something I will never forget,” said Ms Bye, who has since retired from hospital work and now works part-time in a school.

“She was a teenager in denial and over the years I have often wondered what happened to her and came to the only conclusion I could do and thought she had passed away. I am blown away.”

The women have yet to meet in person, but hope to do so in the near future.