With their cheeky smiles and boundless enthusiasm, football-loving Alec and Aden O’Connor could be any identical twins.
‘The best thing about being a twin is that we always have each other’s backs,’ Alec, aged 11, says.
But in 2019, the twin from Fort Worth in Texas, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a rare aggressive form of blood cancer.
Three years later, when doctors confirmed he was in remission, it was news his mother Rhea Scott, 49, had prayed for.
Yet within months, she was back in hospital. In a cruel ghastly and twist, Aden was told he was now suffering the same disease. He is still undergoing chemotherapy.
Alec, who remains cancer-free (right), says: ‘Sometimes Aden (left) is scared something bad is going to happen to him’
The twins, now ‘closer than ever’, are two of the remarkable children from the US and UK featuring in a new documentary, Kids Like Us, streaming on Sky from today.
Filmed in association with the charity Children With Cancer UK, it reports on the touching, uplifting and often heartbreaking experiences of children with the disease and the toll it takes on them, their friends and their families — as well as the astonishing medical advances which are saving their lives.
Now, in her first interview about the show, Rhea recounts their heartbreaking diagnoses and the twin bond that has helped them through their treatment.
‘After Alec’s all clear it was the best feeling ever,’ she tells MailOnline.
‘I was a little upset because he finished his treatment during Covid, so he didn’t get to go to the hospital and ring the bell.
‘But I felt that God had created a miracle for us.
‘Eleven months later when Aden was diagnosed with the same cancer I was devastated.
‘My first words were, “God, I can’t do this again”. ‘
Alarm bells were raised when Aden suffered a head injury during football practice leaving him with painful headaches and nausea — both typical signs of concussion. Pictured, Aden (right) and Alec (left) during his treatment
It was only after Aden’s lymph nodes suddenly swelled to ‘the size of golf balls’ a week later and ‘part of his stomach bulged out’ that Rhea rushed him to hospital. Pictured, Aden (right) and Alec (left) during his treatment
Experts believe that identical twins can be prone to getting the same diseases. Pictured, Alec and Aden as babies
The first sign Alec’s health may be awry came suddenly in October 2019 after he was struck down with what she believed was Strep A.
Symptoms typically include a sore throat, headache, and fever, along with a fine, pinkish or red body rash with a sandpapery feel.
‘A week later he seemed to get worse, he couldn’t breathe. As I headed out to work he said “Mum I’m in so much pain”.
‘And I just looked at him and I knew something was wrong.’
After urging medics to run blood tests and scans, doctors discovered a huge mass growing in his chest, pushing on his trachea.
In leukaemia patients, cancerous cells can ‘clump’ around the thymus, a gland in the neck, which can cause difficulty breathing.
Cells can also accumulate in lymph nodes in the chest that push against the windpipe, causing coughing and wheezing in children.
Rhea says: ‘Your white blood cell count is normally around 15,000. His was 500,000.
‘His diagnosis started a long two and a half year process of him going through horrible chemo treatments and being sick.
Pictured, Alec (left) and Aden (right) during Alec’s acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treatment
‘He also blew up like the Michelin man.’
Approximately 790 Brits and 6,550 Americans are diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia every year, which has a five-year survival rate of 70 per cent.
Of these, around a quarter have T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
It occurs when white blood cells start to grow out of control inside the bone marrow before spreading into blood vessels and vital organs.
As the white blood cells multiply rapidly, they can start to clog blood vessels and vital organs — which gradually stops the body from functioning.
Experts believe that identical twins can be prone to getting the same diseases due to shared blood supply in the womb.
Aware of this, Rhea asked Alec’s doctors if his brother could be vulnerable to suffering the same. She was told no, or at least it would be very, very unlikely.
In 2023, Aden suffered a head injury during football practice leaving him with painful headaches and nausea — both typical signs of concussion.
But within a week, his lymph nodes had swollen to ‘the size of golf balls’ and ‘part of his stomach bulged out’, leaving Rhea to jump to the worst possible conclusion — and rush him to hospital.
in 2019, Alec from Fort Worth in Texas , was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a rare aggressive form of blood cancer. In a cruel ghastly and twist, in 2023 Aden was told he was now suffering the same disease. He is still undergoing chemotherapy
‘It scared me to death’, she says.
Once tests were complete, both she and Aden were taken to a separate hospital room.
‘As soon as I was told “the doctor will be in to talk to you” I burst out crying. I knew,’ she said.
‘I was hysterical. I said “I can’t go through this s*** again. You don’t know what I’ve been through in the last two years.’
And Aden has suffered a more aggressive form of the same disease, battling pancreatitis, brain bleeds, high magnesium, sodium and blood pressure.
His leukemia has ‘also attacked his liver and his spleen’, Rhea says.
‘Alec got it when he was seven, going on eight, while Aden was 10. Alec’s chemo was a lot more easier than Aden’s was,’ she adds.
‘I also think, because when the kids are younger, they’re not aware of death, they think “I’m just sick”.
The twins, now ‘closer than ever’, are two of the remarkable children from the US and UK featuring in a new documentary, Kids Like Us, streaming on Sky from today. Pictured, the Kids Like Us premiere
‘Eleven months later when Aden was diagnosed with the same cancer I was devastated. My first words were, “God, I can’t do this again”‘, Rhea says
‘In Aden’s case, he’s aware, and that’s what made it more difficult for me and for him and having seen what his brother went through.
‘Reliving that has been scary for all of us.’
Alec, who remains cancer-free, also says: ‘Sometimes Aden is scared something bad is going to happen to him.
‘I help by asking him to calm down and take deep breaths.
‘I’ve already gone through it — I can tell him what’s going to happen so he can prepare.’
For Aden, who faces two more years of chemo, the support of his twin is clearly crucial.
‘My first thought when I got diagnosed was, “I’m gonna be OK.” Seeing Alec survive, I’m know I’m going to be OK too.’
More children than ever are being diagnosed with cancer, with the number rising more than 15 per cent since the 1990s, according to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Around 1,600 under-15s are now diagnosed on the NHS every year.
Yet, paediatric cancer receives a mere four per cent of research funding.
Alongside Alec and Aden, the documentary also follows the lives of seven-year-old Dulcie, 10-year-olds Harry and Leighton, 11-year-old Tia, Zuza, 12 and Eve, 16
Now, in her first interview about the show, Rhea recounts their heartbreaking diagnoses and the twin bond that has helped them through their treatment. Pictured, Alec and Aden with their mum Rhea
Alongside Alec and Aden, the documentary also follows the lives of seven-year-old Dulcie, 10-year-olds Harry and Leighton, 11-year-old Tia, Zuza, 12 and Eve, 16.
Their frank accounts of their struggles are equally as heart-breaking as they are heart-warming.
Harry, from Fife was diagnosed with ganglioglioma, a rare type of brain tumour in 2020.
‘I still have my tumour,’ he told the documentary.
‘One day when I woke up, I had to go and have an operation and then they realised that I had a brain tumour and I’ve been blind ever since. It’s just drama.’
Heartbreakingly, Harry didn’t tell his parents when he started losing his sight because he didn’t want to worry them.
‘The pesky brain tumour took away some of my eye sight,’ he added.
‘It’s just quite hard being blind. I wish my brain tumour didn’t affect my head.’
Dulcie, meanwhile, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma two years ago, aged five.
‘I was throwing up a lot of blood, like a nosebleed but with your mouth. I’ve had it ever since I was four and now I’m seven,’ she said.
‘I’ve still not gotten rid of it but me and mummy keep saying we’ve got to kick cancer’s butt.’
Kids Like Us is available for streaming on Sky and NOW
