Fiona said:

“As a little girl Holly was very active – she enjoyed ballet, horse riding and anything remotely sporty. She was animal mad and over the years we have had pet hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats and dogs! 

Holly was seven years old when she was diagnosed with cancer. It came quite out of the blue – I had noticed she was looking tired, but it was the end of the summer term at school, so I just thought she was ready for a break. 

We were just about to go on holiday, and Holly was staying with her dad for a few days. Holly’s dad noticed a lump on Holly’s cheek, so he took her to the GP to get it checked who initially suspected mumps, although we were not happy with this diagnosis. The following day we went to see a different GP who advised to keep an eye on Holly and bring her back in a couple of days. In the meantime, a large bruise appeared on one of her arms, and other bruises started to appear. We took Holly back to the GP who immediately referred her for blood tests at Southampton Hospital. The blood tests confirmed that Holly had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and before we knew it, we were being transferred to The Royal Marsden Hospital. 

When I received Holly’s diagnosis it was devastating, you never expect to hear the words that your child has cancer and then you’re suddenly thrown into a world with lots of complex terminology. Initially, I couldn’t help but think the worst, and then I had to face up to telling Holly’s grandparents the news which was extremely hard. Holly was very young when she received her diagnosis, so she didn’t really understand the seriousness of cancer, but she was aware there was going to be a lot of time spent in hospital to make her better. 

Holly’s treatment started straight away, with regular chemotherapy sessions both at The Royal Marsden and Kingston Hospital. Unfortunately, Holly didn’t initially respond well to treatment, so she was put on a stronger type of chemo which had worse side effects. During Holly’s first year of treatment she was in and out of hospital – we worked it out to be an equivalent of around nine months in total, although thankfully this is not the case for all child cancer patients.  Holly had to miss a lot of school, but fortunately this didn’t seem to impact her learning too much.

Momentum had only been around for a year when we found out about the charity. I was introduced to them at Kingston Hospital, Bianca (the Founder and CEO of the charity) was still working as a receptionist at the hospital and was balancing that alongside her role at Momentum. My sister had a chat with Bianca who told her all about how the charity can support families with very unwell children. I felt like I had so much to comprehend with getting to grips with Holly’s illness that I didn’t have the headspace for anything else, but over time, Momentum became a lifeline for me. I would go to them for emotional support and advice. At this point, the charity was still very small, so it was often Bianca who I would be speaking to.

It was a strange feeling when Holly completed her treatment – I expected to feel elated, and like a real weight had been taken off my shoulders, but I didn’t. I think at the back of any parents’ mind, there is always worry and concern when your child has been so unwell.

I talked to the consultants about Holly’s fertility when she was going through her cancer treatment, and they were hopeful that there wouldn’t be any adverse effects, I am not sure if this was because she was still very young. I have had my own worries over the years about Holly being able to have her own family, so it was absolutely amazing when I found out she was pregnant. To have a little granddaughter is just the best – Isla is very special.

My message for any parents who are worried about their child would be to trust your instincts and keeping pushing if you are not happy with the diagnosis you have been given. As for Momentum – they can offer so much to families, wider family, and friends.  Don’t be scared, take advantage of what is on offer from Momentum – they can be a lifeline.”

Holly said: 

“I can remember bits and pieces from when I was being treated for cancer. I remember how kind the nurses and consultants were, and the play team at Kingston hospital were brilliant too. 

I have special memories of some of the things Momentum organised for us – a visit to Winter Wonderland at Christmas, and a trip to see the West End musical, Mamma Mia! We got involved with activities Momentum organised at the hospital, and children from my school helped put together the big mosaic artwork that is part of the entrance into the children’s ward at Kingston Hospital. 

It has been some years since I completed my cancer treatment now, and I would say my biggest achievement without a doubt has been my baby daughter. I wasn’t worried about being able to have children when I was younger, but as I got older, it did become a concern that it might not be as easy for me to conceive. However, Isla was the biggest and best surprise I could ever ask for. I had her on 2 September at Kingston hospital and it has been a whirlwind ever since!

I am really grateful I have been able to go back to normal life. I have been to college and recently finished university where I completed a degree in special educational needs and inclusion. I have worked as a special educational needs (SEN) Teaching Assistant at the school I went to and am looking forward to seeing where my career takes me next. 

My hopes for Isla are quite simply that she has a normal, happy, and healthy life.”