Rachel Daly hopes to raise awareness for Cure Leukaemia research

Daly says it has been “really helpful” for her family to learn about the illness and what research is being carried out.

She hopes to share what she has learned with other families who might be going through similar journeys.

“[My grandma] is currently living in a nursing home and has two major treatments each year. It’s a constant battle,” said Daly.

“I don’t think she actually realises how poorly she is. With the type she has, there is typically no symptoms at the beginning which was the case for her.

“Later on, non-painful lymph node swelling became apparent. There was tiredness, fevers, weight loss, and at first it was really scary as we didn’t know what was going on.

“To find out it was that, it was tough. It became a really difficult part of my mum’s life in particular as she had to be there for her and care for her.”

But while they continue to search for treatments, Daly says there “can be some light at the end of the tunnel and some success stories”.

She hopes to bring positivity when visiting patients, having spent time at Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital in December, which she says “touched” her.

This year Cure Leukaemia hope to fund specialist research nurses for children’s patients and will be announcing 10 hospitals which will form a trial network.

It is a crucial time for the charity and Daly says it is important to use her platform to “drive change”.

“The spotlight is on us and we’ve earned that right so I don’t want to see that go by the wayside and just post pictures on Instagram,” said Daly.

“How can I be influential and help drive change on or off the pitch with diseases or mental health?

“I’m not just here to be a footballer, I’m here to make the world a better place and push positivity and raise awareness. It’s so important to me.”