They grew up as neighbours, rode their bikes together pretending they were cars, and promised each other they would one day be bridesmaids at each other’s weddings. But when Daisy Ellis was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer at just 21, that future was cruelly cut short. Now her lifelong friend Francesca Partridge, from Milton Keynes, is running the TCS London Marathon to honour the girl she called her sister — and to keep a promise she made to her before she died at just 25.
Francesca and Daisy grew up as neighbours in the village of Rothersthorpe, near Northampton. Looking back at their childhood, Francesca, now 27, said: ‘She was amazing at sharing her imagination, always playing with me – riding our bikes in the close pretending they were cars. She would shave my legs when I was too lazy to shave them, and she taught me that when we wanted sleepovers, we had to wait until our mums had had a glass or two of wine before they would say yes.
‘We promised each other that we would all be bridesmaids at each other’s weddings. Sisters forever. Together or apart – she will remain in my heart.’
In 2017, Daisy was aged 21 and at university studying to be a teacher. One weekend, she felt back pain. She was sent for tests by a GP and given the shocking news that she either had leukaemia or a rare form of cancer. It was in August 2017 that Daisy was told she had stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. There are an average of 31 cases diagnosed every year in England.
By now, the pain had spread throughout her body and there followed two years of treatment – 20 cycles of chemotherapy, 50 sessions of radiotherapy and a number of operations. Daisy also tried to get a trial drug to prolong her life that was not available on the NHS. Funds were raised to go to the US – for example, by holding ‘sarcoma picnics’ – but her health became so poor that she was told she couldn’t travel.
The cancer had spread significantly and the last time Francesca saw Daisy they watched Supermarket Sweep together in hospital. She died a few days later, in September 2019.
Francesca said: ‘She will always have a place in my heart and she made us all promise we’d continue to raise awareness and that’s what we are doing. She was one of the best role models I could have had growing up – especially during the times where I was changing and the things around me were changing so much. She was always ready with her words of wisdom or your eyebrow wax.’
Francesca, who now lives in Milton Keynes and is studying psychology and child development, is running her first London Marathon on 26 April for charity Sarcoma UK. She has played football for women’s teams including Cambridge United and Luton Town but admits running 26 miles is a very different challenge.
‘Watching Daisy bravely fight such a rare and aggressive cancer has left a lasting impact on me, and I am determined to honour that memory by supporting the vital work Sarcoma UK does.
‘She was beautiful, inspiring, generous and courageous in every way possible and I’m so blessed to have had her in my life for 23 years. My sister! My chicken chaat partner! My sleepover buddy.’
Sarcoma UK’s Research Manager, Emily Williams, said: ‘Daisy’s story is a devastating reminder of why research into rhabdomyosarcoma is so urgently needed. This is an aggressive cancer that too often affects young people, and survival rates have simply not improved enough over recent decades. That is why we are proud to be funding vital projects tackling this disease head-on. Dr Zoe Walters at the University of Southampton is working to understand why some rhabdomyosarcoma cells resist chemotherapy and how we can target them more effectively. And, at the University of Birmingham, Dr Carmela de Santo is pioneering immunotherapy approaches that harness the body’s own immune system to fight the disease. Together, this research gives us real hope that, in the future, fewer families will have to endure the heartbreak that Francesca and all those who loved Daisy have suffered. We are incredibly grateful to fundraisers like Francesca for making this work possible.’
To donate to Francesca, go to https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/francesca-partridge
