Laura’s Special Day story

Meet Laura, a 32-year-old mum from Burton-on-Trent who was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Her Special Day was spent with her family at CBeebies Land Stay, which looked fantastic! Here is her story…  

We hoped to gain some quality time together to regroup, reconnect, and rediscover ourselves and our roles as a family, to enjoy each other’s company again, to laugh again, and to give my son the greatest day possible.

– Laura

I was diagnosed with primary mediastinal non-Hodgkinson lymphoma just after my son had his first birthday. I was breastfeeding at the time and had never spent time away from him.  Our bond was so strong. Stopping breastfeeding suddenly and being admitted to the hospital had a big impact on us all.  Needing to start chemotherapy and radiotherapy meant that my son, unfortunately, watched far too much TV and became an absolute CBeebies addict.

Fortunately, his Dad was able to take over the role of the main carer, allowing me time to concentrate on my treatment, but I felt like I’d abandoned my son, something that still haunts me. Our family now has a new dynamic. I am very grateful for today and the bonus time treatment has given me, but we still very much bear the scars that a cancer diagnosis brings to any young family.

Covid 19 occurred shortly after I completed treatment. Because I had blood cancer and had sepsis during treatment, I needed to shield, which made us feel like our lives had been put on pause until our Special Day. It seemed only right that we all go to CBeebies Land.

We hoped to gain some quality time together to regroup, reconnect, and rediscover ourselves and our roles as a family, to enjoy each other’s company again, to laugh again, and to give my son the greatest day possible. Our relationship has suffered greatly as a result of our cancer diagnosis and the obstacles we’ve endured. We needed some support to bring us back together as a family again.

Thank you so much to everybody that allowed our Special Day to go ahead. Having the opportunity to spend time together without the stress of organising and finances is very special.