19 April 2006
19th April 06
” In the summer of 2004 my youngest brother Beau (then 11) was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It goes without saying that this came as a major shock to myself and my family and affected us all greatly. He received Chemotherapy over a nine month period and spent lots of his summer holiday in hospital. A central line was fitted directly into a vein in his shoulder so that medication could be administered, this meant that contact with water was difficult since the line was open and infections could occur. For an 11yr with a love of canoeing this was total torture! His illness meant that he missed out on the majority of 2005 and was unable to take part in sports that he loved and had to be constantly watched. This is hard work on an 11 yr who’s discovering his independence. To have your Mum, Dad and your big sisters watch your every move, is not at all good for the street cred!. In the summer of 2005 he finally had the line removed and had the all clear to go out and play!! Another stroke of luck saw him take up an offer to go sailing with the Ellen MacArthur Trust. He was at first very nervous about the trip, but on his return all the nerves were replaced with tales of his adventure. He was the happiest kid Id ever seen and he didn’t stop talking about Ellen and the team. It’s now February 2006 and Beau’s latest test results reveal that the cancer has come back. Although the doctors are confident they can deal with it, it doesn’t stop your heart aching and your mind reeling with what if’s at every waking hour. Beau’s illness had a major effect on me, it may sound selfish to be speaking of myself, the one without cancer, but the change an event like this can have on you is profound. Every thought or plan you have is shadowed by the fact that he is ill. I’ve always been someone who wants to travel, but his illness has made me terrified of going away, I was in America with my sister working at a summer camp when Beau was diagnosed, so my fear stems form first hand experience. My reasons for wanting to do this ride deal with my desire to help the Trust and myself. I want to raise money so that children like Beau can break away form their illnesses and go sailing, to say thank you for taking Beau and showing so much care and to prove to myself that I can go traveling again!”