How humility, vulnerability, openness and teamwork saved Leah Bennett’s life.

The news no parent ever wants to hear is their child being diagnosed with cancer. As a dad, I can’t imagine it. This is exactly what Stephen Bennett was told after his fit, healthy, sports-mad six-year-old daughter, Leah, started to struggle with back pain in late 2018.

MRI scans revealed a tumour in Leah’s abdominal region, obstructing her kidneys, spanning major blood vessels, and affecting multiple vital nerves. She was given 6-9 months to live, with surgeons across the country refusing to operate.

This story exemplifies key aspects of psychological safety in a high-stakes medical context. Stephen wants as many people as possible to know about the value of inclusion, humility, vulnerability, open discussions and the willingness to take a calculated risk.

From being football-crazy to wheelchair-bound in a matter of months, losing her hair, and being up all-night sick with her parents, Leah said to her dad, “I don’t want to do this anymore.” A reminder: she was six years old. As Leah got sicker and more surgeons refused to perform the surgery, Stephen felt in the dark, with little hope. He asked the team at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital if there was another dad he could speak with, confide in, even vent to. Due to Leah being what Stephen affectionately describes as a ‘walking science experiment’, no one had had such complications, and there was no other dad he could speak with.

Everything changed when Paediatric Surgeon Jo Minford did three things in the first 5 minutes of a watershed meeting. Jo acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, expressing how sorry she was that Stephen, his wife, and Leah were in this situation. She mentioned she knew Leah’s name but asked Stephen if she could see a picture of his daughter. She handed a 3D print of Leah’s pelvis with the tumour inside explaining the complexity to Stephen. He told me he felt like ‘he was holding the enemy.’

Stephen described how the darkness he’d experienced was replaced by a human connection. Jo wasn’t just another surgeon in that moment; she was a mum herself, personalising a challenging meeting and making Stephen feel immediately more optimistic, building trust. Then came the moment of truth: the discussion about risk. Jo shared her concern that “we could be stealing six months with your daughter” if things did not go to plan.

Against all odds, the operation was successful. Apart from getting her blood checked every eight weeks and taking daily medication, Leah is now six years in remission, a happy, healthy, sports-mad twelve-year-old.

Another coping mechanism Stephen employed, without another dad to speak with, was writing a reflective diary. While he hopes no one else has to go through what he has, today he launches his book, "In Her Best Interests". His eternal gratitude to Jo and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital means 50% of all profits will go to them.