Our beautiful son Stanley, aged 9, was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma in April this year. There were no symptoms (fatigue, weight loss or night sweats). The only thing that alerted us to something being wrong was a large lump that appeared to show overnight on his neck - first spotted on his younger brother’s birthday when at the Airport pub looking at planes as they came in to land.

A visit to out of hours the day after had us reassured it was just a lymph node and we were to keep an eye on it and return to the doctors after a few weeks if it hadn’t gone down.

5 weeks later it was still the same so an appt with the GP was booked and from there the fear began. We were sent to Stepping Hill Hospital that same day for urgent bloods and ultrasound. From there we were referred to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital where we saw Dr Penn, Consultant Oncologist who told us he thought it was Hodgkin Lymphoma but a biopsy would be needed to confirm.

A biopsy under general anaesthetic, heart scan, chest X-ray, CT-Scan later and we were called in for the results - Hodgkin Lymphoma Stage 1a confirmed.

The fear you feel at this news can’t be put in to words so I won’t even try.

He needed an operation under general again to position a Portacath under his skin to allow them to administer the chemo. Then 2 days later chemo started! Our feet hadn’t touched the ground.

Stanley couldn’t understand the need for it all and was adamant the lump would go away by itself. Trying to explain to your child, who felt well in himself, that the the pain he was experiencing after 2x operations and the effects of chemo (cramps, hair loss, jaw ache, fatigue, nausea etc) was going to make him better and allow the “basher medicine” to rid of the “baddie” cells in his body so difficult and we were met with a lot of resistance when he had to attend the hospital for more chemo or make him take the endless tablets he had to take x 3 a day.

3 x chemo cycles later and we got the news he’s clear of cancer! We’re still dealing with the fall out of cancer and how it’s affected our family as a whole but the outlook is good.

As a thank you to the staff who have become a family to us and seen us at our lowest, and the hospital who reacted so quickly and ultimately saved our sons life, we’re organising a day of cricket fun at New Mills Cricket Club!

“Stanley’s Manic Monday” on Monday 25th August 2025 will be a day of fun for all the family. There’ll be a kids cricket game in the morning, then adults games in the afternoon. Food van, bouncy castle and the bar will be open.

We want to raise as much money as possible to support the amazing staff that support the children and their families at a time of a complete panic and fear and do it with such empathy, love and understanding.

To hear when we first started our journey that it would quickly become our norm was hard to believe but we can honestly say that it did - Stanley would arrive and staff knew his name, he’d play UNO with Lindsey and Lorraine and chat to them about his day, feelings and fears all while hooked up to his drip as the chemo was administered.

Help us support these amazing people to continue their invaluable work with children at their most scared.

Final words from Stanley himself:-

”Cancer is the worst thing that happened in my world but I kicked its ass!”