Rachel’s Special Day story

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, all Rachel wanted was a break away with her family and a chance to return some normality to their lives. Her Special Day gave her the opportunity to spend some precious quality time together and create memories that the family could treasure forever.

Before my dreaded news, I was a normal 35 year old with two boys, Ben aged nine and Logan two. I had also recently got engaged to Jamie and we were planning to get married this year, which is now on hold. In February, I recieved news that no body would ever want to hear, ‘You have breast cancer’. These are four words I never thought would be directed at me but it just shows how wrong I was and that it can happen to anyone.

After weeks of going back and forth to the hospital, I started chemotherapy as I had an aggressive tumor which spread to my lymph nodes in my armpit and my neck. As I was going through treatment I found out about Willow on Facebook and wasn’t sure if I would meet the application criteria but I thought would apply and see what happens.

When I received the phone call to say my application had been accepted, I cried and to find out were going to Centre Parcs was the icing on the cake. After six months of chemo and not being able to do much with my boys, I thought it would be good for them to have a break and be a normal family, without having to think about cancer the whole weekend. I would just like to say a massive thank you for a fantastic weekend. We enjoyed every minute of our family time together and cannot thank you enough.

We have gained lots of memories from it and I cannot thank you all enough for what you did.

Rachel