Our story begins back 4 years ago, back in November 2022. My Grandad Alan Witton was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer which ended up spreading throughout his body and into his bones. All throughout his diagnosis he had been so brave and remained in high spirits, and still made us laugh even when he was at his lowest. Sadly, on May 18th 2025, I was with my Grandad along with my parents and my Aunt when my grandad passed away. It was very hard for all of us, as none of us wanted to lose him, but the hardest thing was having to let go of him and saying goodbye to an amazing father and grandad.

4 days later, whilst I was at school and my Dad was at work, my mum, Kathryn, rang her GP as she felt something wasn't right with herself. But she didn't want to tell me or my Dad as we had just lost my Grandad and she didn't know how to tell us that she also had to be tested for cancer. In the end she ended up telling us about 2 weeks later because she needed to go into hospital for a surgery. Hearing the news that my Mum also had cancer made the world around me crumble, I had just lost my Grandad to Cancer and then my Mum had told us she also had it... and it just crushed me. During this time I had been getting ready for my mock GCSE exams, but I had so much going on in my head with my Grandad and now my Mum that I felt I could barely focus.

My Mum was formally diagnosed with Stage 2 Anal Cancer, and breaking the news to the family that my Mum had cancer was devastating for everyone. My Mum was determined to fight the cancer so she could get on with her life as she had so many things she still wanted to do. At the same time as her diagnosis, she had applied for a new job within her workplace. She had wanted to do it for so long, and she was devastated that she would have to put her plans on hold and get herself better, but she didn't give up.

Mum started Chemoradiotherapy in September 2025 for 12 weeks. Within the first 3 days, she was sick, then she felt fine for about 3 weeks, then the pain of the radiotherapy set in. She couldn't walk very far without needing to use the toilet. Going to the toilet was excruciating for her, but her determination and battle was still there. She had lost some weight and looked very poorly, but she kept saying that she wasn't giving up. Dad came to appointments, So did I, and so did her parents- my Grandparents Nanny and Grandad Farmer. Then there was another long wait for 12 weeks to see if the cancer had gone away. And by the end of February 2026, we all got given the news that we had hoped for, that my Mum had been cleared of cancer.

By the end of it all, she just wanted to return to work and carry on with her life. She returned straight away and began picking up the pieces. My Mum now knows her limits of what she can do, as she gets tired easier, but she still masters on.

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲:

So to get over our ordeal, Dad decided we needed a holiday, so Dad booked us a holiday to Orlando in September 2026. With our holiday, our challenge begins.

Both myself and my Mum are terrified of large rides, small ones we can do, but large ones have always been something that make our stomachs churn. Dad said no matter what, that we had to ride them, and he said he'd pay us a fiver for every large ride we went on. This got Mum thinking, so in the end she brought up the idea to me and my Dad, of why not instead of giving us the money, for every large ride we went on, Dad donates £5 to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Mum said she'd have to be hypnotised if there was any chance of her getting on any of these rides, and she stuck to her word. Mum went to a session of hypnotherapy, but left her with an abscess on her tooth and her jawline was affected as the lady kept telling her to feel the warmth in her face as she relaxed. In the end she decided that wasn't the best idea, so Dad ended up thinking of something else; A VR Headset.

Dad bought us an Oculus quest 2, which gave all of us motion sickness, so we gave up on that idea too. And now Mum has decided she would just take calms daily in hopes they would help her. Whereas I haven't done anything to help my nerves, and I'm just going to wing it since I don't think anything would really be able to help me.

For our challenge, mself and Mum will be riding the biggest roller coasters we can get ourselves on in Orlando, at parks like Universal Studios, Walt Disney World, and possibly SeaWorld. For every ride we go on, could we ask people to donate to Macmillan Cancer Support who gave support to both my Grandad and my Mum. As evidence that we have been on these rides, we will be getting our pictures taken at either the exit to the ride, or of us on the ride.

ʙʏ ɢɪᴠɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴏɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ ʀᴀɪꜱᴇᴅ ᴄᴀɴ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴄᴍɪʟʟᴀɴ:

£20 could provide one session of emotional support to a person living with cancer with a Macmillan Buddy.

£39 could pay for a Macmillan Nurse for one hour, helping people living with cancer and their families receive essential medical, practical and emotional support.

£54 could help a member of the Cancer Information and Support Team on our Macmillan Support Line provide someone affected by cancer with the information they need.

£294 could pay for a Macmillan Nurse for one day, helping people living with cancer and their families receive essential medical, practical and emotional support.

£649 could help run our Online Community forum for 1 day. In this time, 1,340 people affected by cancer in the UK can read and share experiences and support each other on anything to do with cancer – from treatments, to coping with everyday life, to the death of a loved one.

On behalf of my mum, she would like to thank Royal Stoke Hospital, Stafford County Hospital, Mansion House Surgery, Macmillan Cancer Support, all of our family on both sides, and friends including school friends who have shown her nothing but support and kindness throughout her journey.

Mum would also like to thank NSCG Stafford College who gave my mum all the support she needed and she's so grateful for everyone who helped her, and now, in September 2026, start her new job as Learner Support Assistant.

WorkPlatform LTD gave all of us support, but especially my dad who was dealing with the grief of losing his dad and then having to watch my mum go through treatment.

And to new friends made Staffordshire Goths & Alternative and also Goths UK and great bunch of people who I wished I could met years ago.

I would like to thank Alleyne's Academy for supporting me throughout the months after my grandad passed and when my mum was diagnosed. They provided me with emotional support and the teachers were always checking in on me to make sure I was alright, including making arrangements in case I wanted to work elsewhere. I couldn't have asked for better teachers during this time.

Thank You For All Your Support And Donations From

Daniella Farmer