I am raising £2,000 for CLIC Sargent, YOUNG LIVES vs CANCER, to help them to support more children and young people as well as their families.  The charity was there from Day 1 for Tasha; that was 9 years ago when she was a young teenager of 14.  Today, she is a 23-year old married woman, living in her own flat with her fantastic husband, Oscar and their puppy, Pixie.  Unfortunately, despite some encouraging indications at one point, her cancer has spread and appears to be gaining the upper hand right now.

TASHA’S STORY

In the past 2 years, since the melanoma spread throughout her body, she has been on immunotherapy treatment which did shrink the tumours for a while but also caused significant side effects.  Amongst other issues in that time she has had gastritis, meningitis, a blood clot in her leg, a toe and part of her foot amputated, two tumours in her brain treated separately with SRS and one in her spine.  The spinal tumour bled requiring emergency spinal surgery and her having to learn to walk again following paralysis from the waist down. One of the brain tumours also bled leaving her with stroke-like symptoms; brain surgery returned her to near normal – and she got married in a register office 4 days later.  She bounced back quickly and had her ‘white wedding’ celebration on a gloriously sunny and happy day in February this year.  Since then she has had two further stays in hospital, one for a week in Plymouth for what was supposed to be her honeymoon, and then a few days in Swindon. Both of these were for an infection which was either pneumonia or C Diff, or both.

IT’S ABOUT THRIVING NOT JUST SURVIVING

CLIC Sargent talk about “fighting cancer isn’t just about surviving,
it’s about thriving”.  Tasha has absorbed that spirit and resolutely refused to be defined by her condition.  She said as much in her wedding speech.

WHY CLIC SARGENT?

CLIC Sargent do great work nationally – which you can look up - but what we’ve seen and experienced over many years now has mostly been the ever-positive presence of Mark, her social worker in Oxford.  He pops up most times she is in hospital, whether it is a planned or an emergency visit; always with a cheery smile and words of encouragement.  He’s also a source of practical advice on benefits and grants, as well as morale raising goody bags, chewy bars and access to a special TV room.  He also dealt with her university and helped get her an extension for her final dissertation.  Crucially, he also sorted out accommodation at the CLIC house in Oxford during treatment.  This has saved us hundreds of pounds but also provided a nearby home-from-home at a very stressful time.

CANCER IS ABOUT THE FAMILIES TOO

It was at the CLIC house that I saw how much the charity does for others.  We met a number of families there, some going through terrible times.  However, being in the CLIC house meant they were surrounded by people who understand from their own experience and 2 house staff who know how to listen to anxious parents and give hugs, warm words or warm cups of tea when needed.  The thing that has really struck me about being a parent of a child with cancer, is how lonely the experience can be.  CLIC Sargent understands the quiet desperation of parents and helps families as much as the young people themselves.  They understand that it is not just the emotional impact, but the additional costs of repeated hospital trips, lost earnings, and the need to look after the sick child’s siblings as well as elderly parents.  I simply can’t say how valuable that support is, whether at a personal level or all the good work they do more broadly.

THE GOAL

My goal is to raise £2,000.  So far this year we have received one grant of £170 and had a week or so in a CLIC Sargent Home from Home which costs them £330 for a stay like that.  So, if you can help with this fundraising and we can reach that goal, then we can help 4 other families with 10 days accommodation and a grant whilst their child is sick in hospital or having treatment.  If we go beyond it then we are helping to paying for Mark and other great people like him.

All donations will be hugely appreciated and do please leave a message of support for Tasha.

Thank you.

Ian