Thomas’s Story
Lyndsey was first diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 30. She went through treatment and got the all clear but then was re-diagnosed. She passed away in October 2021, just over 3 years ago. Sometimes it feels like yesterday and sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago.
Cancer Fund for Children supported our whole family from the start and their help was outstanding. It wasn’t sad. They focused on bringing us all together and helping us to make memories. They connected us with other people who were living through the same thing we were.
Leah and Lewis were supported by Gareth, their Cancer Support Specialist and he was amazing. They felt like they could talk about anything with him and they talked about their mum when they felt comfortable. They got so much out of that support. Gareth didn’t just focus on the negatives. He helped them to look back on the memories they made with Lyndsey. He was there for every aspect of their experience, not just the loss.
The kids have struggled since losing their mum and the parental support groups have been invaluable to me. You know when you’ve had a bad day that you can go on to the group chat and remind yourself that you’re not alone.
The kids have also built connections with other children and young people who they met through Cancer Fund for Children. It gave them a safe space where they could talk about things because the other kids understood.
Leah loves the outdoors, so she did the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award with Cancer Fund for Children and went for residentials at their Narnia log cabin and she loved it. Lewis also went on residentials, he loved meeting new people and taking part in the activities. The kids still talk about their visits.
Before Lyndsey passed away, we stayed at the charity’s short break facility Daisy Lodge as a family and got so much from it. We took part in therapeutic workshops, and the staff were so amazing. It was a place where we could clear our heads.
For the first year or so after losing someone, people say it’s sort of a blur and then it hits you more. Then it feels like other people have moved on, but you haven’t. For us as a family, this is all still happening but Cancer Fund for Children have made sure that we don’t feel forgotten.
Bigger charities get so much funding but when we needed the support it was Cancer Fund for Children that stepped in. I don’t think we could ever repay Cancer Fund for Children for what they did for us. I don’t know how to put it into words. The kids would not have gotten through their experience the way they did without this support.
That’s why we’re so passionate about fundraising and why we’ve organised this Firewalk.
A Firewalk is all about challenging yourself to do something you never thought you would be able to do. It’s about overcoming barriers. If you’re thinking about signing up, I would say go for it. It’s something different and it’s a great way to raise money for a worthy cause.
