Philip’s treehouse honeymoon
Philip and his wife, Claire, from Sidmouth, stayed at Nymetwood Treehouses in Devon, where they were able to relax together in a beautiful and tranquil environment. Due to Philip receiving treatment for lymphoblastic leukaemia, he and Claire hadn’t been able to go on a honeymoon so the trip was the first holiday they’ve shared since 2019.
“With so much going on, I had forgotten how regenerative a holiday could be.”
Philip’s story
“I have been dealing with lymphoblastic leukaemia for the past two years. It has been an extremely difficult time, and physically it has been tough. I was unwell before the diagnosis, however, the treatment proved to be an even harder challenge. Chemotherapy was difficult, but the stem cell transplant was a different beast altogether.
“The pre-transplant conditioning was curtailed as the side effects were mounting. Making matters worse, I had a bacterial blood infection at the same time. I thought I might be dying. During this process I was (unsurprisingly) extremely anxious and desperately unhappy.
“Although indications initially seemed promising, I unfortunately relapsed a few months later. I lost the use of one of my legs and ended up in a wheelchair. I was also told mistakenly that my cancer was terminal – once you’ve stared at the end, it’s almost impossible to put those feelings back into a box. Things have also been less than ideal financially. I ran out of sick leave quite a while ago and had to dip into my savings.
“Mercifully, the second treatment seems to have worked. I’ve had no evidence of cancer for over ten months. I still have issues with my ankle, but I have learned to walk again and manage to get out and about most days. We are hopeful that I will pull through and that life can become more normal again.”
A breath of fresh air
“It was wonderful being in the beautiful and peaceful environment of Nymetwood Treehouse, and it really helped us to be present and connect with each other in a place that doesn’t have any negative associations with the treatments. We’re both nature lovers, so hearing the birds and being up in the tree with them was extremely cool. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard so many species all at once.
“We had some fancy (but relatively easy to cook) meals, played board games, caught up on some reading, went for short wanders through the grounds, and enjoyed toasted marshmallows at the fire pit. The massive copper bath on the balcony up in the trees was particularly luxurious. The whole experience was absolutely wonderful – it felt a million miles away from the places I’ve had to stay in recently.
“With all my health issues, Claire and I hadn’t managed to have a honeymoon. In fact, we hadn’t had any time away for five years. Thank you to everybody at Willow and to all the donors for making it possible.”
“Our break was extremely restorative, physically and emotionally.”
Willow provides special experiences for seriously ill young adults, like Phillip. Donate today to help more families create lasting memories.