A ‘heartbroken’ family have told of the moment they realised something was wrong with their daughter before she was diagnosed with a rare cancer.

Three-year-old Matilda Apsee, a triplet, was spotted limping at home by her mum on Christmas Eve while watching Peppa Pig with her two siblings, George and Arthur. Initially, her dad Stuart thought nothing of it – but mum Elizabeth very quickly became concerned, and took her to a doctor. Her instincts proved to be correct, and just days later Matilda was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma.

Her dad Stuart recalled the moment that would turn the Bridgend family’s lives upside down. He told Wales Online: “I just put it down to her pulling something while she had been playing with her brothers; she’s always very active and other than the limp, she was completely fine. I never dreamed that it would be anything like this.; but my wife, Elizabeth immediately knew something was up. It was completely mother’s instinct. We had the earliest appointment we could get and that was on New Year.”

The GP referred Matilda for further tests at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, Wales, where a doctor immediately expressed concern. Stuart recalled: “When the doctor took a look at her hip, the first thing he said was ‘has she ever been in a car crash?’ because her hip was disjointed; you could see that it wasn’t right.”

On January 10, her parents received the devastating news of her diagnosis. Scans revealed a cancerous mass the size of a grapefruit above Matilda’s left kidney. The cancer had already spread into her pelvis and bones.

Stuart said the family were left “heartbroken”. “I asked whether she was born with it and if it has always been there, but the doctor told me that it was only two months old. We are lucky that we caught it so soon because this form of cancer is quick to spread through the body.”

Matilda is now facing an intensive 12 month treatment plan at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital in Cardiff, which includes chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy, with 80 days of chemotherapy alone. But despite it all, Stuart said their brave girl “has not stopped smiling”.

He said: “She has just taken it all in her stride. She is aware that she is poorly and that it’s in her tummy, so we were able to give her an idea with the children’s books they have at the hospital on cancer and a lion teddy, which you can take the mane off, for children to understand the side effects of chemo. The staff at the hospital have been saying that she [Matilda] has been playing on the wards, making friends with other children after treatment that would knock an adult off their feet. She is just an absolute fighter and we are so proud of her.”

Although Matilda continues to be upbeat, Stuart has said that the whole ordeal has been a “massive adjustment” for the close-knit family, who previously were “always together.” Matilda and her mother have temporarily relocated to Cardiff – a whole 30 miles away from the family home – for the duration of her treatment, and make only occasional visits home.

Stuart is at home with the children – and has had to explain to the boys where Matilda is. He said: “The triplets are extremely close, and although the boys are two minutes older than Matilda, with her being the only girl, she is extremely protective over them, to the point where she’s motherly. Elizabeth and I have explained to them what is going on and Arthur has said he just wants the ‘baddie’ in Matilda’s stomach to disappear.”

Matilda’s godparents, Laura and Tom Rich, have launched a GoFundMe page to help create joyful memories during this challenging time. The page has already surpassed its £10,000 target, raising over £13,975. Stuart admitted he and Elizabeth were “a little apprehensive” when the page was made for the family, but say they are now hoping the money will make the triplets’ childhoods “unforgettable”. He said: “We want them to have these fun times that they can look back on with happiness and this money will help us achieve that!” Matilda has already created a list of things she wants to do – with the very first item being Peppa Pig World.

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