'Incredible reaction' to cancer survivor picture at Bristol university

A student came "full circle" when she walked into her university room which overlooks the hospital where she was treated for cancer as a baby.

Maggie Dorey, 18, from Bude, Cornwall, spent six months having chemotherapy for leukaemia at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

Now she is a first year fine art student at university in Bristol.

A tweet from her dad Martin about the coincidence went viral with nurses who treated Ms Dorey getting in touch.

Author and environmentalist Mr Dorey, 54, said in his tweet: "Dropped Maggie at uni in Bristol today.

"From her new room you can see the room at Bristol Children's Hospital where, 17 years earlier, she spent 6 months fighting for her life against leukaemia.

"Tears of joy. Thank you NHS."

The tweet, which was posted on Thursday, has since had more than 140,000 likes and 8,000 retweets, including from some of the hospital staff who treated Ms Dorey.

Jamie Cargill tweeted: "I remember her so well. As a paediatric cancer nurse who looked after Maggie it's such a delight to see her grow and succeed. Have an amazing time Maggie! Xx"

Mr Dorey said: "It captured everyone's imagination, the reaction has been incredible, so many people have been in touch.

"It seems to have touched a nerve."

Ms Dorey, a student at the University of the West of England in Bristol, said: "We didn't expect it to get such a big response.

"It's quite emotional, coming full circle to start my life at university, which I could not have done without the hospital.

"It was quite a weird feeling to be honest."

Ms Dorey is now clear of the cancer, but when she was in hospital she had an anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction to the chemotherapy.

"They saved her life," said Mr Dorey.

A nurse who treated Maggie also got in touch in response to the tweet, he said.

His second daughter Charlotte, or Charlie, is named after her.

"It was just brilliant. She did not know Charlie had been named after her," he said.

"It was a really tough time and it's been amazing to get in touch."

Many responses to his tweet have come from families of other children who have been at the hospital with cancer.

"People's reactions have brought me to tears," he said.

"They are so happy Maggie is doing well.

"We really appreciate it and we value the NHS more than ever."

Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].