Member of the Month December 2025
Johanna Haxter
Our Member of the Month this month is Johanna Haxter.
Last December marked the beginning of a life-changing journey for little Johanna, who was just three and a half years old when her health rapidly took a frightening turn. What started as tummy pain on the night of December 10th quickly escalated. After spending the whole day in A&E, her condition continued to deteriorate, and doctors made the urgent decision to transfer her to Oxford for specialist care.
Initially, the medical team believed Johanna was suffering from a burst appendix. She was taken straight into surgery at 11am on the 12th of December. The operation was meant to be four hours, but after seven long hours, the surgeon came to speak with the family.
It was not her appendix. A tumour had ruptured, causing the severe pain. Johanna had lost a significant amount of blood and required an urgent blood transfusion. The presence of old, dried blood indicated that the tumour had already spread.
A week later, the diagnosis was confirmed, a Wilms tumour affecting both kidneys. On the 24th of December, Johanna had her Hickman lines inserted, and on the 27th of December, she began her first round of treatment.
Following several additional surgeries, the medical team decided that radiation therapy was also necessary. In April, just after Easter, Johanna and her family spent almost three weeks at UCLH, where she also began her journey with Beads of Courage.
At that time, Johanna had already earned 140 beads. Today, she has collected more than 400. The beads have become incredibly important to her, helping her process her experiences and giving her something to enjoy and be proud of. She still faces at least another year of treatment.
Johanna has two sisters, a younger sister who is now three years old, and a baby sister who has been by her side in hospital since she was just three months old.
Despite the intense treatments and painful moments, Johanna continues to smile. She plays with her sisters, proudly shares her beads, and even takes them to school for Show and Tell. She is able to attend school, and her beads have become a powerful symbol of her strength and courage.
Johanna’s family is incredibly proud of her. She is a resilient little girl who has had to grow up far too quickly, yet she remains the cheeky little monkey they have always known.
December is a month filled with powerful memories for Johanna’s family, marking one year since her diagnosis. Recognising Johanna as a Member of the Month for December would be a deeply meaningful tribute to her courage and determination.
