27 Oct 2025

Larissa’s favourite saying was ‘One life, live it’

Leukaemia symptoms can be vague, often leading to diagnosis only when a person is already gravely ill. In rare cases, the disease progresses so rapidly it is only identified after death. Ten-year-old Larissa Fellows passed away in August 2024 just days after her first symptoms appeared. Her mother, Marie, shares the devastating events and how she is now channelling her grief into helping other families.

Larissa Fellows

“For our 20th wedding anniversary in 2024, we planned the trip of a lifetime – to renew our vows in Central Park with Larissa as our bridesmaid, something she always dreamed of,” said Marie, 46, a headteacher from Kingswinford in the West Midlands.

The family – Marie, her husband Dave, sons Zane and Jaxon, and Larissa – together with close friends. left on 3rd August for the holiday to California and New York, followed by a Caribbean cruise. Only a day in, Larissa began to feel unwell after visiting a theme park. What they assumed was motion sickness may have been the first signs.

“The next sign came on 13th August, when Larissa developed a headache and was sleeping most of the time. We took her to the doctor, who thought it was the effects of travelling – heat, change in food, disruption to her routine. Her iron levels were fine, her headache passed, and on 18th August we boarded a cruise ship. But within days she became unwell again – this time it looked like severe seasickness. The ship’s doctor prescribed tablets, and we assumed that was the end of it.

“Again she improved, but on 25th August in the Dominican Republic, Larissa complained of aching legs after a beach club party. The last photo I have shows her lying on a sunbed in the pool, sipping a mocktail and smiling. On the walk back, her legs hurt.

Larissa and her family

“That night at dinner Larissa said she didn’t feel well and refused to eat. The medical centre, just a few doors away, was closed. I told her I’d call the emergency number, but she begged me not to. I settled her into bed, noticed she was hot, gave her Calpol and set an alarm for 2am to give her ibuprofen. She woke briefly to go to the toilet and then climbed back into bed with me and Dave. By then, the ship had left the Dominican Republic and was heading back to New York.

“At 6am, I was jolted awake by Larissa kicking me in the back. Looking back, I realise she was probably having a seizure. She was disoriented, talking as though drunk, saying bizarre things — that her dad looked like a duck, asking me to sing the Peppa Pig song she’d loved as a toddler. She said she needed the toilet, but as soon as her foot touched the floor she screamed in agony and collapsed. We scooped her up and rushed her straight to the ship’s medical centre.”

Medics first suspected a UTI, then possibly meningitis. She was given blood tests, fluids, and antibiotics before drifting into sleep.

“When she woke, she behaved in ways I can only describe as childlike, almost as though she’d gone backwards in time. It reminded me of when my Nan had dementia. She asked to see her brothers, and before they left, insisted on kissing them and telling them she loved them. She also told Dave and me she loved us too. Moments later, she had a seizure.”

Doctors rushed to resuscitate Larissa then Marie and Dave were told they suspected a brain tumour and had been placed in an induced coma.

“I remember screaming. They talked about airlifting her to Washington DC but warned that if it was a brain tumour, the pressure change could kill her. The safest option was specialists in New York.”

Larissa with her mum Maria

For the next 43 hours, Marie and Dave stayed by Larissa’s side – talking, singing, and planning for the care they believed she would soon need.

“We arrived in New York at 3am. I can’t fault Norwegian Cruise Line – they were incredible. An ambulance blue-lighted us straight to Bellevue Hospital. They didn’t think it was a brain tumour but ordered a CT scan. While she was in the scanner, alarms suddenly went off. Her heart had stopped again, and they defibrillated her. But the results came through – the scan showed no brain activity. There was nothing more they could do.

“I called the ship’s Captain to help bring the boys, who were with my friend Vicky, to the hospital. By then my brother had also flown in from the UK. Together, we all had time to say goodbye to Larissa. Then we made the impossible decision to turn off the life support machines.

“She passed away at 10.37am New York time, on 28th August 2024, with us at her bedside.”

Larissa’s body was taken for postmortem, while Marie and her family faced the unthinkable – checking into the hotel where they had planned to celebrate their wedding vows and Marie’s birthday.

“We cancelled the vow renewal and instead took flowers and laid them in Central Park for Larissa.”

On top of their grief, they also had to deal with bureaucratic hurdles.

“The postmortem was carried out, but they couldn’t give us the results immediately – further tests were needed. The death certificate listed no clear cause, only ‘Awaiting further study’.”

Eventually, Larissa’s body was released to the UK. After delays, she was finally transferred to a funeral home in the West Midlands.

“We then had to go through everything all over again with the Coroner here. Finally, on 4th October, we held her funeral – a true celebration of her life. Hundreds came, and the service was filled with music, videos, and photos of Larissa everywhere.”

On 30th October, the medical examiner finally called Marie with the shocking results.

“They told me Larissa had died of leukaemia.”

“Not long before, I had been supporting a little boy at my school as he completed his leukaemia treatment—a journey I shared with his family over the course of a year. It’s something I was grateful to be part of. At the same time, it was incredibly difficult knowing I never had the chance to walk that same path with my own daughter.”

After three weeks away, Marie began a slow return to work.

“Working helped. My school is a real community, and even though Larissa attended a different school, everyone knew her. My staff, governors, parents and pupils were incredible support.”

Sadly, Marie’s experience with the health service was very different.

“I asked for bereavement counselling, I wanted to speak to a leukaemia doctor – but none happened. I felt abandoned.”

One night, Marie had a dream that shaped how she channelled her grief.

“It was the first dream I’d had of Larissa. I was outside a greengrocer’s, buying strawberries for her. She came running up, I hugged her, picked her up, and ran into our local hospital shouting, ‘Quick, help me, my daughter has leukaemia!’ But she turned to me and said, ‘Oh no Mum, it’s too late for me – but you need to do what you can to help other people’.”

That dream became a turning point. Marie found the determination to create something positive.

Larissa wakeboarding

“The Larissa Foundation focuses on children’s charities, blood cancer and leukaemia organisations, children’s hospitals, and charities encouraging disabled people to take part in sports. We also support bereavement services – it was through a charity that I eventually accessed the counselling I so desperately needed.

“Each month, we choose a different charity to fundraise for, hosting a variety of events. We’ve organised walks, outdoor activities, cooked in a pop-up restaurant, collected Easter eggs, and even staged a 12-hour water sports marathon. Larissa loved being on the water, and weeks before her death, she had won the national wakeboarding championships.

“Larissa’s uncle, my brother Joseph Guest, also launched his own fundraising challenge through the Larissa Foundation for Leukaemia UK. Turning 40 in 2025, he took on 40 challenges – ‘from the impressive to the ridiculous’. These included running a marathon, eating 40 doughnuts in a weekend, climbing the UK’s three tallest peaks, and even spending a day wearing 40 items of clothing.”

“Larissa’s favourite saying was ‘One life, live it’ and it’s inspired us all to do just that,” said Joseph. “Larissa was brave, tenacious and knew exactly how to live life to the full so in her memory I was determined to make a difference.”

“The Larissa Foundation has raised over £50,000 so far,” said Marie, “and whilst I will never be ‘healed’ or ‘get over it’, I will continue to live, carrying Larissa’s legacy with me every step of the way by making the world a better place because that is what Larissa would have wanted.”

Children’s Charity in Memory of Larissa | The Larissa Foundation

Joseph Guest is fundraising for Leukaemia UK