Emmerdale Eden Taylor-Draper sister’s cancer battle and day star found out on set
Emmerdale star Eden Taylor-Draper, who plays Belle Dingle on the ITV soap, has opened up about her younger sister Francesca's heartbreaking battle with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Emmerdale’s Eden Taylor-Draper has shared details of her sister’s courageous cancer fight and the moment she learnt of it.
The actress, who plays Belle Dingle on the ITV soap, has spoken candidly about how her younger sister Francesca’s battle with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at 14 years old in 2020 brought their family closer. Eden cleared her schedule for a month to enable her to spend quality time with her sister, a period that the actress described as drawing the family closer than ever before.
The 26-year-old actress recalled the gut-wrenching moment she received the news about her sister’s acute lymphoblastic leukaemia while filming on set. This led her to making weekly hospital visits to support her beloved sibling in her darkest days.
Following her harrowing experience, Eden passionately channeled her energy into contributing to the Teenage Cancer Trust, performing in a charity film during its emergency appeal. Francesca’s diagnosis wasn’t only physically harrowing, it also brought emotional turmoil for the whole family.
Speaking to Metro, Eden revealed how her close friends and family rallied around each other during the time. She said: “It’s so hard when something like that happens to a family. We’re very lucky and came together and supported each other.
“For my sister to be able to talk to people and we had the option to do so as well. It actually made us so much stronger and closer than before.”
In a 2021 interview on ITV’s Lorraine, Francesca revealed that at one point, a staggering 97% of her blood cells were cancerous, leaving only 3% healthy. She also revealed that while some symptoms were “generic”, such as fatigue, she experienced excruciating leg pain before her cancer diagnosis.
Francesca highlighted the “massive toll” cancer took on her mental health, explaining how at 14, she “wanted to be independent” like her peers. Discussing how her sister’s diagnosis altered her outlook, Eden said: “It goes to show the little things don’t matter. As humans, we complain about the most trivial, random things, but we’re so fortunate and blessed.
“It does hit home when you go through something like that and realise life is so precious. So yeah it has changed my mindset.”
After her sister’s diagnosis, Eden became an ambassador for the Teenage Cancer Trust, which has since launched its Stop Cancer Destroying Teenage Lives fundraising appeal. Asked how Francesca is doing, Eden told Metro: “She’s great, she’s finished treatment and she’s thriving.”