On Mila Sneddon’s first day back at school, Prince William and Kate Middleton sent her a heartfelt letter. Mila is a five-year-old child with a rare form of blood cancer who captured the Duchess of Cambridge’s heart when they first met back in 2021.
Photo: Twitter
The Cambridge family, whose three young children will be returning to school in just a few weeks, supported Mila on Twitter as she began her first academic year without receiving chemo.
“What a remarkable journey. Mila, we at Kensington Palace wish you luck “Mila’s mother, Lynda Sneddon, posted a picture of her daughter grinning outside the school gates, prompting the royal couple to write.
The photograph’s caption read: “Very proud on my first day back at school! Mila is attending school for the first time without receiving treatment. 3 you, Mila We are grateful to @NHSGGC for making this possible for the causes of #ChildhoodCancer, #ChildhoodCancerAwareness, #BloodCancer, #remission, and #cancerfree.”
The Cambridges’ sweet note was quickly acknowledged by Mila’s mother, who wrote back: “Thank you for your very kind words Mila has settled in well and is thrilled to be back at school, sending best wishes to you all at KP.”
After Mila was photographed kissing the kitchen window of her family’s home as her father stood outside, the image became a symbol of isolation during the pandemic and was part of Kate’s iconic lockdown photography project, Hold Still.
During their initial Zoom call in the fall of 2020, the Duchess promised Mila that when they could meet in person, she would wear a pink dress. Kate kept her promise and showed up at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh in May 2021 wearing a bubblegum pink Me+Em dress.
Photo: Getty Images
Last year, Lynda told HELLO! about how friendly Kate was to her daughter when they first met. She said, “I can’t express how remarkable the Duchess of Cambridge has been.
“She was incredibly considerate and caring. She spoke to Mila in a way that really made me feel like she was a mother. She said she wanted to give Mila a big hug, but it was difficult due to all the Covid restrictions and wearing masks.”
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia patient Mila first underwent intensive chemotherapy treatment in November 2019 and only recently received the all-clear from medical professionals.
