Nick’s Special Day story

When Nick was diagnosed with cancer, he realised that life was too short and he had to make the most of every day. His passion for films inspired him to ask if he could attend a film premiere for his Special Day. The experience was a dream come true for Nick and made him determined to follow his own dreams.

Our family is small and very close. We don’t consider ourselves to have the best of luck, but we do consider ourselves lucky in terms of how close we all are.

Cancer had never really affected us, so my diagnosis of testicular cancer was certainly a shock and a hard time for us all. After undergoing my operation and having radiotherapy, I saw the world differently. I consider myself to be incredibly lucky that the cancer was found as early as it was and could be cured. It’s now my aim to ensure I try to do all the things I want to, knowing that life is short and every second needs to be enjoyed.

My Special Day helped me forget about all the hard times that last year brought and reminded me to look forward to all the good days ahead.

Nick

After my recovery, our family has become even closer. My life’s passion has always been media-based, including film editing and directing, so I wanted a Special Day that would help to boost my motivation to get back into doing what I love. I wanted to do something I wouldn’t normally be able to do.

I found out that Willow had arranged for me to attend the Avengers film premiere in London when my treatment had ended. I’d just started back at work, which was very daunting and scary, so the news came at a very welcome time and helped motivate me during my first couple of weeks back.

I felt incredibly lucky to walk the ‘red carpet’ and attend a premiere. It was a privilege to be amongst the VIPs. My Special Day was a once in a lifetime opportunity and as a Marvel comic fan, I truly loved the film to the extent I that I watched it again with my family when it was released.

The whole experience was fantastic, it was all so well planned and we spent some time sightseeing the following day. It was lovely to have the opportunity to explore the great city of London.

Overall I really loved my time in London and it has motivated me to take another look at creating short films and making a portfolio of works which will hopefully push me into the life I want to lead. As soon as I returned home, I started working on a short film that I’d been planning for a while.