In December 2024, the most unimaginable thing happened to our family. My 3 year old nephew, Leo, a happy, energetic little boy who is always making people laugh, was blue-lighted to Addenbrookes. Just hours later, we received the most shocking news, Leo had cancer. In a single sentence, our whole world crumbled.

Unless you've ever had to go through something similar, I will never be able to explain the panic and heartache that we were all feeling. The paediatric intensive care unit is filled with the most wonderful nurses and knowledgeable doctors/consultants in the world, but it is also the most heartbreaking place you'll ever visit.

What can I say about his parents? Well, Emma and Michael are truly the strongest people I have ever met. Of course they cried, of course they were hurting so badly, wondering 'why Leo'. But they sat next to Leo day and night, reassuring him that everything would be okay, and thinking of all the wonderful memories they'd be making once, if, they were the other side of treatment.

The treatment was mind-blowing. It had to start right away and it was brutal. Leo was just 3 years old, and it was the week before Christmas. No child should ever be in intensive care, but especially so on Christmas day.

A lot of the time, Mark and I had to sit on the sidelines. It was too risky for us to see Leo in case we passed on any germs. Nancy, our daughter, is just 3 months younger than Leo and they're the best of friends. There weren't many weeks they didn't see each other so it was difficult explaining why all of a sudden they couldn't see each other. Thank goodness for video calls!

Leo had to stay in hospital for months. So Michael and Emma didn't go home for months (other than to pick up some fresh clothes).

By this point, you're probably wondering who the Sick Children's Trust are, and what involvement they had on this very difficult journey. Well, they gave Emma and Michael a base at the hospital. It was just a few minutes walk away from Leo's bedside, where they could store their belongings, get a few hours sleep, eat some dinner and have a shower. Once Leo was more stable, their routine was swapping throughout the day and night enabling them to rest and be as strong for Leo as they could. When you become a parent, people always make comment on how sleep deprived you're going to be, but i cant imagine this level of sleep deprivation.

Without this accommodation, things would have been even harder. The team at Acorn House met Emma & Michael with such warmth, compassion, and a home from home. They made it possible for both of them to them to be close, one bedside, one getting some rest. It meant they could eat some food at a table not balancing it on a hospital bed, they could have a hot shower, charge phones, speak to other parents in similar positions. It gave them a safe place to be when Leo was in surgery and they couldn't physically be with him. It was more than just accommodation, it was a temporary home during crisis.

Childhood cancer affects every single part of family life, emotionally, physically, mentally and financially. The support from The Sick Children’s Trust reminded our family that even in the darkest moments, kindness still exists.

After 6 awful months, Leo finally made it in to remission and they were able to give back the keys for Acorn House. It costs £40 a night to house a family in one of these apartments, so now we want to give back as much as we can. Which is why I will be running London's Royal Parks Half Marathon in October. This is a huge challenge for me, as I had an operation on my spine 2 years ago, but I am determined to raise as much money and awareness as I can for such an important charity.

Leo is an absolute superhero, and against all odds, kept showing the doctors just how incredibly strong he is. He was faced with so many challenges in hospital but on the day he got to ring the bell, he said he was having the best day. He makes all of us so proud, and as a family, we are also so proud of how Emma and Michael have coped. The Sick Children's Trust provided them with a much needed lifeline.

For anyone who has been through cancer or knows someone who has been through it, remission isn't this relaxing time where you go back to living normal life. It has so many new challenges and the journey continues long after you hope you'll be done.

There are families staying in Acorn House tonight living through the very worst days of their lives. Every donation will help another family stay close to their seriously ill child during the worst moments of their lives.

If you are able to donate, no matter how big or small, it would mean so much to our family and to the families who will need Acorn House in the future. If you’re unable to donate, please help us by sharing this page and raising awareness of the incredible support The Sick Children’s Trust provides to families during the hardest times of their lives.

Thank you for listening xx