Genevieve von Lob

Weʼre raising £500 to I'm Offering One-on-One Sessions to Raise Money For Emma's Cancer Care

: Health and medical

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Story

I first met Emma nearly 20 years ago, when we were interviewing for a place on the clinical psychology doctoral training at Salomons, in the Kent countryside. Six months later, we met again at Salomons to begin the intense three-year journey to become clinical psychologists. Since then we have become great friends, graduated together; embarked on careers as clinical psychologists together, both choosing to work with children and families in the NHS; and enjoyed festivals and celebrations together. I sang at her wedding when she married Owen, and delighted in seeing her become a mum to two beautiful children, aged eight and six.

Emma now has an incredibly steep mountain to climb.

Emma was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019 and since then she has undergone a range of treatments including chemotherapy and surgery. Things rapidly deteriorated last month, when she underwent emergency radiotherapy to her spine and Emma now has extensive bone metastases. She requires a comprehensive rehabilitation package to get her and her family back onto her feet.

I have so much love for Emma; she’s the most incredible, compassionate person, and she’s so much fun, that I want to support her fundraiser in whatever small way I can. I’ve decided to offer 45-minute parent problem-solving sessions via Zoom in exchange for whatever donation feels right to you — every little helps. I invite you to bring one question on any aspect of parenting, and I will support you to gain deeper clarity and understanding. I will be offering slots to the first 10 people who contact me via my website, and will hold the sessions over the next month.

Please read Emma’s story below in her own words, and if you’re able to contribute anything to this Just Giving fundraiser, it would mean the world to me.

Emma’s story

“I’m a parent of two beautiful children aged 6 and 8, along with my husband Owen. I am fundraising to help me literally get back on my feet and heal from advanced breast cancer and the medical treatment regimes.

I need help to access supportive health therapies and treatments, so that I can improve my health as much as possible to again be an active and involved mum to my wonderful children.

I first found a breast lump in 2019 when I was breastfeeding my 6 month old baby girl. The hospital gave me the all clear but 6 months later told me it was cancer and it had spread to my bones. Since 2020 I have undergone a range of treatments including chemotherapy and surgery. Alongside I have been relentless in taking on responsibility for my health. I have worked consistently with nutritionists, doctors using a metabolic approach to cancer, an osteopath and a naturopath. I do my best to exercise, meditate and practice gratitude for all that I have every day.

I reluctantly left my job working as a clinical psychologist for the NHS in 2023 as the work pressure was unsustainable for me whilst managing drug side effects. I was doing well until last month things rapidly and unexpectedly deteriorated. I was hospitalised for a month and underwent emergency radiotherapy to my spine as well as chemotherapy.

I now have a mountain to climb. I have extensive bone metastases leaving me with limited mobility. I spend most of the day sitting in a special bed and need help with the most basic of self-care tasks. Not only is it heartbreaking to miss out on activities with the children, my husband Owen is under enormous pressure to add childcare, housework and my care to his full-time job.

The hospital can offer me only chemotherapy and painkillers. I need a rehabilitation package to get back up on my feet, and a host of therapies to support my body back to health including nutritionist (I have lost 10kg), osteopathic treatment, acupuncture for pain, and medical consultations with experts in metabolic approaches to cancer treatment which are cutting edge at supporting patients with advanced cancer, as well as the supplements needed to implement it all. In addition psychological support to help us cope well to be able to support the children with their own emotions. At a basic level we also need to fund extra home help to support my self-care with washing and dressing and with domestic cleaning and laundry.

All of these things are vital to me improving my health step by step but we are a family of 4 living on one salary and some state benefits so our resources are limited.