When Leila Evans first noticed a lump on daughter Nansi Alys’s toe, she was told it was just a wart.

For over a year doctors reassured her it was nothing more, but Leila, couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. She was right: what had been misdiagnosed as a wart was an incredibly rare form of cancer.

Leila first took her daughter, then aged three, to see a GP in May 2021. She was told the growth was a wart, but it kept growing. In June 2022, another GP said it was a benign cyst. In July 2023, Nansi Alys had an operation at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool to remove the growth.

Tests were carried out on on a sample and after a six-week wait, the family heard the horrible news that Nansi Alys had desmoid-type fibromatosis, a rare type of soft tissue sarcoma cancer.

Nansi Alys required a second procedure and skin graft in September 2023.Some of the tumour still remains, and Nansi Alys, who has an older sister and brother, has scans to monitor changes to her health.

Leila said: “The doctors should have listened to me. I’m her mother, and a mother knows best.”

Despite her illness, Nansi Alys, now seven, has kept up to date with schooling and been amazingly brave.

Leila said: “When we were told it was cancer, everyone in the family was panicking and teary. But we’ve all had to just get on with it for her sake. She has been so good, she’s not complained about any part of it. She is our little trooper, our little warrior. When she saw her friends after her first operation, she told them, ‘I’ve had my little ball removed’.”

Now Leila is part of a team of 10 family members climbing Mount Snowdon, Wales’ highest mountain, to raise funds for the charity Sarcoma UK.

“We wanted to go up there for a good cause, so what better cause than Nansi and Sarcoma UK,” said Leila.

The entire town is behind the family’s fundraising efforts, with collection boxes in local pubs and shops.

Kerry Reeves Kneip, Sarcoma UK’s Director of Fundraising and Communications, said: “This story is a powerful reminder of the importance of listening to patients and their families.

“Leila’s determination to seek the right diagnosis for her daughter highlights the need for greater awareness and understanding of rare cancers like sarcoma.

“It underscores the critical need for medical professionals to be better trained in recognising and diagnosing sarcoma early.

“At Sarcoma UK, we’re inspired by the Evans’ family’s courage, and we’re incredibly grateful for their efforts to raise both awareness and funds, which will help us continue our vital work in improving early diagnosis and treatment for those affected by sarcoma.”

To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/leila-evans-1711457084499