Christian’s cosy cottage stay

Christian from Edinburgh went on his Special Break with his partner, Rosemary, staying in a remote cottage on the Isle of Skye. The trip offered them time together that was full of peace, relaxation and happy memories after Christian had been diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma. Rosemary gave an insight into what their time away was like.

“Christian seemed so free and content.”

Christian’s story

“The Special Break had a massive impact on Christian. It allowed him to get out into nature, where he is happiest, and explore. It was the happiest I had seen him since his treatment ended. It really did come at the perfect time, as his physical state had returned to normal after the trauma of his treatment but also, he seemed to be letting go of the mental trauma too and learning of ways to cope. 

“It was one of the happiest times we both experienced since the end of Christian’s treatment.”

“Skye really helped Christian in allowing himself the opportunity to reset and rest after some very difficult months while also reminding him there is so much he wants to do and will do. We would sit in the evenings after a long day walking with the fire on, watching the sheep graze out the window and look out for seals as the beach was just metres away. It was a bit surreal how peaceful it was but it was a perfect place to relax with Christian as we both felt we could stop and catch our breath.  

 “Christian seemed so free and content. It just made me think of how far he had come and that to everyone else he looked as if nothing had ever happened to him. As a young couple we spend a lot of time going back and forth to each other’s family homes and I stayed with Christian throughout his treatment.  

“Skye was one of the first times since his treatment ended that it was just the two of us which gave us the opportunity to create our own routine and spend really good quality time together in a relaxed environment. Skye will always be a place that we will both look back on with lots of happy memories and return to for this reason. It was one of the happiest times we both experienced since the end of Christian’s treatment.” 

Willow provides special experiences for seriously ill young adults, like Christian. Donate today to help more families create lasting memories.