On 6th October 2024, our lives changed forever.

Our beautiful son Frankie was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, an aggressive form that was very hard to treat.

What followed were months we could never have imagined, from the Royal Sussex Hospital, to intensive care at St George’s, and then to the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at the Royal Marsden, where Frankie spent two months at the end of 2024.

It was a frightening time. Frankie was very unwell, and we didn’t know what the future held.

But being on a Teenage Cancer Trust Unit made an extraordinary difference.

I was able to stay with him. Clive worked throughout, while still being able to visit day or night and keep things going at home for Henry. Frankie was surrounded by other young people his age, and by specialist nurses who understood not just the illness, but everything else, A levels, university, life being put on hold.

Frankie’s boyfriend Barnaby, who we couldn’t have got through this without, was there constantly, visiting him on the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit. During that first stay, Barnaby turned 18. He spent his birthday sitting with Frankie, who was very unwell at the time.

We marked it as best we could. I slipped out to get cards and a cake, had presents delivered to the unit, and the nurses added their own card too. A small moment, but one that meant a great deal to all of us.

When he felt well enough, Frankie would go to the music room on the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit to play piano and sing. I would stand outside and listen, just grateful for those moments.

And I could talk to other parents who understood. That mattered more than I can say.

Frankie went through two very intensive rounds of chemotherapy to try to get the disease under control so he could have a stem cell transplant, his only chance of successful treatment once we knew about the genetic mutation.

But just before Christmas 2024 we were told it hadn’t worked. It was a terrifying moment, trying to understand what that meant and what options he had left.

Thankfully, he was then able to access a combination of targeted drugs, not yet available on the NHS, which did what the chemotherapy couldn’t. It got him well enough to go on to have the transplant.

His brother Henry turned out to be a perfect match.

Just after Frankie’s 18th birthday, in June 2025, we returned to the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit for the transplant process.

We arrived on the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit on 9th June, the day before Henry’s 16th birthday.

The next day, from the room, we video called so the four of us could be together while he opened his presents, something we would normally have shared in person. Under normal circumstances, it would have been unthinkable not to be together for his 16th birthday.

Henry was isolating at the time, as he needed to stay infection free ahead of donating his stem cells the following week, so he wasn’t able to come and visit.

The start of the transplant process didn’t go to plan. An infection meant things had to be delayed, and Frankie had to have his line removed and replaced, which was hard on him. Those delays took their toll, although we were grateful to be able to get home for a few hours together on Father’s Day.

Once the chemotherapy began, he became increasingly unwell over the following days.

Frankie and I were in a specialist room on the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit from the start, so he wouldn’t have to move as his treatment progressed. It had air filtration and strict infection controls, a protective space designed to keep him safe during the most vulnerable stage.

We were told we could make it our own, and we really did. We brought in everything we could, fairy lights, a small lamp, our own duvet and pillows, even an Apple TV, which became a bit of a lifeline. We added things like artificial plants, as real ones weren’t allowed, and an electric diffuser, so there was no risk of bacteria.

We made it feel as much like home as possible. That ability to do that, to create a space that felt safe and familiar, made an enormous difference.

By the time he had the transplant, he was already very unwell, and things then became even more restricted. For several weeks, he couldn’t leave the room at all. Visits were very limited, and anyone coming in, including Clive and Barnaby, had to wear masks or protective equipment. I had to wear a mask whenever I stepped out.

We were incredibly grateful I could stay with him throughout, but it was an intense and isolating period while we waited for his immune system to begin recovering.

Another extraordinary part of that time was that Henry was able to stay on the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit with Clive while his stem cells were collected, something that meant a huge amount to all of us, and another example of how special that environment is.

On 27th June 2025, Frankie received Henry’s stem cells.

That day, we were all together and, thanks to the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit’s music programme, we were able to play and sing Pink Pony Club together with visiting musicians. There is video evidence, which will not be shared! A moment of joy in the middle of everything.

Recovery hasn’t been straightforward. There have been setbacks, including a difficult period before Christmas 2025 when the cancer began to return.

But with further treatment, and Henry’s cells doing their job, Frankie is now cancer free.

His treatment continues to keep him that way, while his new immune system grows stronger.

He is heading to university this autumn, a year later than planned.

We couldn’t be prouder of both of our boys.

That’s why this matters so much to us.

Teenage Cancer Trust didn’t just provide medical care, they created an environment where young people can still be themselves, and families can stay close, even in the hardest moments.

So I’m joining Clive and his colleagues at Racing TV and RMG to give something back.

As part of the RMG & Racing TV team, we are taking on this 20-mile Jurassic Coast trek together to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust. For them, it’s a tough and meaningful challenge. For Clive and me, it’s deeply personal, a way to support the charity that made such a difference to Frankie and to all of us.

Clive also has his own fundraising page as part of the team, and, as a fundraiser by trade, I’m fully in favour of maximising the total!

On Friday 26th June 2026, almost exactly one year after Frankie’s transplant, we will be walking 20 miles along the Jurassic Coast to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust.

If you can donate, we would be incredibly grateful.

Every pound helps fund Teenage Cancer Trust Units like the one that cared for Frankie, and supports other young people facing cancer at the hardest time of their lives.

Whether it is £10, £20 or £100, it genuinely makes a difference.

Thank you so much for your support.

Catherine

Team RMG & Racing TV