Kate Middleton Receives Support from 8-Year-Old Girl Fighting Cancer

Kate Middleton has received an outpouring of support from the public since revealing her cancer diagnosis on Friday, March 22, including a message from 8-year-old cancer survivor Mila Sneddon.

Sneddon, a cancer survivor, first met the Princess of Wales when she was 4 years old after she was first diagnosed with leukemia. “She will be brave because I was, and she will fight it like I did,” Sneddon told The Mirror of Kate on Friday.

“[Kate] is a mom, a wife, she is young, beautiful, athletic and she is facing this,” Lynda Sneddon, Mila’s mother, told The Mirror. “It shows cancer doesn’t discriminate, it can affect anyone at any time. We wish her a peaceful and speedy recovery.”

“I hope she feels better soon and I wish her a speedy recovery,” Mila, who was declared cancer-free two years ago, told The Mirror.

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Lynda further shared the family’s support of the royal via X, writing, “We extend our love, support and well wishes to William, George, Charlotte and Louis, and wish Catherine a peaceful speedy recovery #YouAreNotAlone.”

Kate and Mila first met in May 2021 at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland. Kate had asked to meet Mila during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, after seeing a photo of the young girl’s family looking at her through a window while she underwent chemotherapy treatment. The snap was later featured in the photographic book Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020.

“Kate’s statement came out on Mila’s two-year anniversary in remission,” Lynda further told The Mirror. “Mila turned to me and told me she wanted to make and send Kate a card. So Mila will make contact in her own private way. Kate showed Mila such compassion, care and support both during and post-treatment, so it’s been very emotional to see she is now facing her own health struggles.”

On Friday, Princess Kate announced that she was diagnosed with cancer after undergoing a planned abdominal surgery and stepping away from public duties in January. She confirmed that she has been undergoing preventative chemotherapy since late February.

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“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was noncancerous,” Kate said in a video posted via social media. “However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present.”

She continued, “My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I’m now in the early stages of that treatment. This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”

Kate shares three children with Prince William: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. They wanted to tell their kids privately about Kate’s cancer diagnosis before sharing it with the public.

“I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirits,” Kate added in her statement. “We hope that you’ll understand that as a family, we now need some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy, and I look forward to being back when I’m able. But for now, I must focus on making a full recovery.”