Glasgow nurse treats mum and son for cancer more than 30 years apart

Nurse Angela Howat, who cared for Stephanie Muirhead during treatment for a spinal tumour in 1989, later helped care for Stephanie's son Andrew after his 2023 medulloblastoma diagnosis; Andrew was given the all-clear in 2024 and a recent scan showed no signs of the cancer returning.

Angela Howat saw a photograph of a young patient she had helped while working at Glasgow's Yorkhill Hospital and later encountered that patient, Stephanie Muirhead, at the Royal Hospital for Children in 2023. Stephanie had been treated as a teenager for a tumour on her spine in 1989 and was given the all-clear in July 1990. A week after their meeting, Stephanie returned with her son Andrew, who had been diagnosed with a separate brain tumour, and Angela was among the staff who cared for him. The family has since reported recovery milestones and time together following treatment. Key facts: - Stephanie Muirhead was treated at age 14 for a tumour on her spine in 1989 and was given the all-clear in July 1990; a picture of her meeting the band Wet Wet Wet was displayed at Yorkhill. - Nurse Angela Howat worked at Yorkhill and transferred to the Royal Hospital for Children after Yorkhill closed in 2015. - Stephanie and Angela unexpectedly met again in 2023 at the Royal Hospital for Children. - Andrew, then 14, began feeling unwell in May 2023; an MRI revealed a mass later diagnosed as a medulloblastoma. - Andrew underwent about eight months of treatment, including six weeks of proton therapy in Manchester, and faced recovery challenges such as difficulty eating and physiotherapy support. - Andrew was given the all-clear in 2024 and his most recent scan, reported last week, showed no signs of the cancer returning; the family described a "bucket list year" of travel and welcomed a new dog. Summary: The reunion between a nurse and a former patient has led to a noted bond as the same staff supported the next generation through treatment and recovery. The family reported relief and marked recovery with travel and a new pet. Undetermined at this time.