My name is Francesca Wheatley, currently aged 18, studying Social Policy BA at the University of Birmingham.

                  At the age of fourteen years old, most girls are hanging out with friends, going to parties and experimenting with boys. Not me, I was battling cancer. In 2010 I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, cancer of the Lymphatic system and underwent extensive grueling chemotherapy for six months followed by 7 weeks daily radiotherapy and 4 operations, with two hour round trips to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Christies. No one expects it to be them, especially not being a quiet girl from a quiet village like Whalley. Cancer can be a very isolating experience as you don’t have the energy to go out and do everything a normal teenager can and your appearance changes as the steroids make you gain weight and chemotherapy makes you lose your hair.

                  This is where Clic Sargent steps in. Clic Sargent provided me with an opportunity to meet other young people with cancer, to be able to speak of our experiences but most importantly go out and be able to feel normal being the fat, bald kid. It was also vital that I had these friends there for me when tests were being carried out in fear that I had relapsed and the fact we were all there for each other when members of the group sadly have passed away. No child aged fifteen and sixteen expects to be burying their friends, especially knowing it could have been them. In 2012 two of my best friends passed away and I didn’t know how to cope. The pain felt almost unbearable but thanks to CLIC Sargent I had a strong support network to get me through the rough patch and look into the future.

                  Unfortunately Clic Sargent doesn’t have the funds to support every child. Each day ten children are diagnosed with cancer in the UK and Clic Sargent currently is only able to support two out of every three and desperately needs the money to be able to support the other children.

                  My aim is to help raise these funds so that Clic Sargent can help all children with cancer, and I have already done small silly things like zip wiring off the top of the Imperial War Museum North dressed as a penguin, given a speech to 2,000 people twice and cake sales but last year I embarked on my biggest journey yet. I hosted a charity ball, on the 19th July 2013 at Mytton Fold. This would have been my best friend’s 19th birthday, but sadly he passed away on the 28th October 2012, aged 18.  Following a huge success on this evening, I have decided to hold my second event on the 12 September 2014.

         Just as I felt that 2013 was starting to pick up for me, I had settled into university, gaining my independence and approaching my three-year cancer free mark, my world came crumbling down again on the 3 October. I heard the devastating news that another of my best friends had passed away. Hayley was the most courageous person I knew. She beat Leukemia twice, had a bone marrow transplant and was cancer free. The effects from her transplant gave her an after effect called GVHD, which meant her lungs ended up failing. Hayley received the incredible gift of a double lung transplant on the 10 August 2013, but sadly contracted a super bug, which was too huge for her body to fight. Last year two tickets were donated for Hayley and her mum to attend my charity ball and this was the last event she got to attend. I’m now even more dedicated to raise lots of money for CLIC Sargent, as without this charity I would never have received the pleasure of meeting my three best friends, so I am continuing my journey on behalf of my these incredible guardian angels.

                  If you are able to help in any way, whether this be a donation to the charity, a raffle prize, a goodie bag for the guests on the evening, or any other assistance I would be ever so grateful. Every penny received by Clic Sargent is vital to children and young people fighting cancer.

         Let’s make a change in the cancer world!!

 

 Thank you so much

 

Francesca x