Sophie (l) and Megan(Image: Rebecca Walker / SWNS)

'Beautiful and brave' teen dies with twin by side after 7-year cancer battle

Sophie Walker, from Edinburgh, has died after a seven year cancer battle where the illness returned more than three times and her family have paid tribute to the "beautiful and intelligent" teenager

by · The Mirror

A "beautiful and intelligent" teenager whose cancer returned more than three times in a seven-year battle has died with her twin sister by her side.

Sophie Walker, from Edinburgh, was diagnosed with a Wilms tumour, a type of kidney cancer, in 2017 after being rushed to hospital with a suspected stomach bug. The 17-year-old had gone into remission twice and tragically relapsed four times - with the cancer returning more than three times between 2020 and 2024. She passed away on Saturday, July 6, with her family including twin sister Megan next to her.

Her parents Rebecca and Jamie, sister Megan and other nine siblings have spoken of their heartbreak. A family message said: "Our beautiful, intelligent, funny, thoughtful and brave girl Sophie fell fast asleep last night just after 6.30pm with Megan lying by her side and surrounded by all her family. We love Sophie with all our hearts and our world will never be the same again, to say we are heartbroken is a complete understatement.

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Sophie died with her twin sister by her side( Image: Rebecca Walker / SWNS)
Sophie died following a seven year cancer battle( Image: Rebecca Walker / SWNS)

"Please keep our broken family in your thoughts and prayers, this is a post I never ever thought I’d have to write." In October, 2017, loving twin Megan also started experiencing similar phantom symptoms- including back pain in the location of Sophie's tumour- despite not having the disease itself.

Sophie's mum Rebecca Walker( Image: Rebecca Walker / SWNS)
Sophie pictured during treatment( Image: Rebecca Walker / SWNS)

Along with her other nine siblings, the family launched an impassioned fundraising campaign for Sophie and raised over £90,000 for the teen to have immunotherapy, vitamin C infusions and various more advanced chemotherapy in Germany. They managed to travel abroad for treatment more than once but needed to make multiple trips for it to be effective, reported the Daily Record.

Not wanting to miss out, Sophie continued to live life as fully as possible even taking a trip to Disneyland with her friends while battling the disease. Earlier this year the family returned to Germany to see renowned radiologist Professor Thomas Vogl, where Sophie was given transarterial chemoembolization to prevent the blood supply of the tumour.

Sophie was described as "beautiful and intelligent" by her family( Image: Rebecca Walker / SWNS)

While awaiting results they explored options in the US. They sent all of Sophie's clinical information to Williams Cancer Institute, based in Beverly Hills, as they believed a new form of treatment carried out by the hospital in Mexico could solve Sophie's problems. Tragically they were left devastated in March when Sophie was ruled out of all clinical trials due to the cancer spreading.

She then became unable to walk due to growth in one tumour caused by excess fluid pressing on her spinal cord and spent more time in the hospital for pain management while waiting to get the correct equipment at home. Sophie was able to leave the hospital and go home one more time before sadly being rushed back on June 29 after her condition deteriorated and she died a week later. She is survived by her devastated parents Rebecca and Jamie, twin sister Megan and other nine siblings.