Shazia’s Special Day story

When I was first told about Willow’s Special Days, my first thought was ‘let’s do something as a family’ and so myself, my husband and our three children decided we’d like a weekend away in Edinburgh.

I’m not really sure why we chose Edinburgh and, thinking about it now, what we did or where we went wasn’t really all that important. The most important thing was that we were able to take a break from reality and day to day routine and have some quality time with the kids.

It was good to feel that we had something to actually live for and look forward to

During my treatment for cancer, which took about eight to nine months, I was more or less confined to the house, so it made a massive difference just to be able to get away to a new environment where we didn’t have to worry about anything.

It wasn’t just the Special Day itself. The whole lead up to the trip was great too and it was good to feel that we had something to actually live for and look forward to. After finishing my treatment it was also a reminder that I was slowly mending and on the right road to recovery.

Looking back, that was a bad time for our family and my Special Day was the one thing that came out of it that we can look back on with fondness. Those are the sort of memories that you cherish. It will always have a special place in my heart. It was a truly inspiring experience.