Brave teenager Sophie Walker - whose twin sister felt phantom symptoms - has lost her battle with cancer aged 17

The family of a teenager who bravely fought cancer for a number of years has announced the sad news of her passing aged just 17. Sophie Walker, who was first diagnosed with the disease in 2017, was said to have died, with her identical twin sister, Megan Walker, lying by her side.

The sisters hit the headlines last year when Megan also suffered similar symptoms to Sophie, including back pain in the same location as Sophie's tumour, despite not having the disease herself. 

Sophie was diagnosed with Wilms tumour, a type of kidney cancer, in October 2017 when she was just 10 years old, but had gone into remission three times. However, the cancer returned each time.

Over the last seven years Sophie tried all options available on the NHS and was told there is nothing more they could do. Her parents, Rebecca and Jamie Walker - along with Sophie's nine siblings - were fundraising for treatment abroad.

A clinic in Germany had offered a groundbreaking new treatment - trans arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) - which applies chemotherapy directly to the tumour via blood vessels. The hope was, if they were able to reduce the size of the tumour enough for Sophie to safely fly, she could travel to America for an immunotherapy treatment in California. They had raised more than £90,000 of the £350,000 needed.

Speaking earlier this year, Rebecca, who runs a hostel in Edinburgh with her husband, said: “Looking at Sophie and Megan, they’re so close, they’re almost in-sync - it’s like one person split into two people. How would Megan ever have a life without Sophie? We’re not just worried about Sophie but about Megan as well.”

Tragically, Sophie’s condition deteriorated significantly last month and she lost her fight on Saturday evening (July 6). Her family broke the sad news to supporters via their Facebook page. They wrote: "Our beautiful, intelligent, funny, thoughtful and brave girl Sophie fell fast asleep last night just after 6.30pm with Megan lying by her side and surrounded by all her family.

"We love Sophie with all our hearts and our world will never be the same again, to say we are heartbroken is a complete understatement. Please keep our broken family in your thoughts and prayers, this is a post I never ever thought I’d have to write."

They have since posted a number of times sharing memories of their daughter, including videos of Sophie singing karaoke to Britney Spears and collecting a bravery award.