Verity’s Special Day story

Verity was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma at just 32 years old. As a full-time mum, family life changed overnight. Her Special Day was a chance to finally have some fun and spend time with her family again.

I was a very active, happily married, full-time mother before cancer. My daughters were just three and six months old when I received my diagnosis of Hodgkin Lymphoma. Our reasonably carefree life was turned upside down instantly.

Managing three weekly chemo sessions was really tough, especially with two little ones. We tried to keep upbeat and things as normal as possible, especially for my eldest, who was old enough to see the impact of my diagnosis. She would ask me, ‘Mummy, when is your hair going to come back?’

We have lost a whole year to this disease but are finally coming out the other side.

We wanted the chance to relax and unwind as a family. It was also important to me to have some fun together between finishing chemo and beginning radiotherapy. We hoped that getting away would allow us to have a day without my diagnosis and just be a normal, young family like everyone else.

My Special Day certainly made the last few chemo sessions a bit more bearable. I really felt like I was dragging myself over the finish line as I reached the end but knowing I had a break away gave me and my family something positive to focus on.

When you live with a diagnosis and are going through treatment you cannot underestimate the impact a Special Day can make to a family. It remains a beacon of positivity in 2015 where life was really hard for us.

Our Special Day was all the more special as we did not have any worries having to plan or book anything.

Thank you, Willow, for taking care of us.