Hello Everyone,

We have created this page to help a special family through this difficult time. We are raising money to help the family with expenses through their sons cruitial treatment and here is their story

On the 25th April our lives were shattered when our 17 year old son was diagnosed with stage two Classic Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the John Radcliff Hospital Oxford. He started 6 rounds of chemotherapy on the 28th of April the consultant was very optimistic that they would be able to cure him completely.

On the 31st October he had an end of treatment scan to see where exactly he would need to have radiotherapy. We arrived at the hospital to start his treatment and the consultant said that he would like to speak to us. We knew as soon as he took us to a side room that it was going to be bad news. The consultant informed us that the cancer had come back and that our son would need more treatment.

He has now been put forward to take part in a drugs trial in London and will have to have between 4 months and a year’s treatment. This will involve; stem cell collection, very high dose chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. This will mean having to travel to London and stay in hotels or with friends while he is having treatment.

I have spent the last few days trying to put together how this has affected him mentally and I just couldn’t find the right words so I decided to ask Tiarnán. I asked him how he feels and we decided we should make a list which is below.

At the start he wouldn’t talk to anyone about how he was feeling and as hard as we tried to help him he wouldn’t open up. After I spoke to the hospital staff they arranged for him to see a physiologist. Tiarnán couldn’t see past the cancer to realise that he still had a life. He has learnt over this journey to open up about how he feels and to ask for help. Cancer has taken away a lot of his confidence and courage.

Tiarnán has always been rather outgoing and willing to challenge himself. He loves to be outdoors, skateboarding (long boards), rock climbing, abseiling, hip hop music, go karting, gaming with friends, watching movies, trying new food and most of all spending time with his friends. Since he was diagnosed he can’t do most of the activities he loves and it has been very difficult for him to realise his limitations. Tiarnán is studying animal care at college as he would like to become a vet. He sat some of his exams at the hospital while receiving treatment. He received distinctions in all the parts of the exam even though he was on his first and second rounds of heavy chemotherapy.

How cancer makes Tiarnán feel:

Diagnosis; scared, I couldn’t see past it, the rest of my life was no longer relevant it faded away. There was nothing to look forward to, just the cancer.

Treatment; It basically makes you feel like crap. It makes me feel like I don’t have a life. It’s losing your hair, eyebrows and eyelashes thinning, gaining weight, stretch marks it takes away yourself confidence. People stare at you, it makes you very self-conscious. Mentally exhausting.

Hospital; to put it bluntly depressing.

Daily life; I feel I can’t be me. It makes me feel defeated and frustrated as there’s so much I can’t do. I have lost most of my independence.

Friends and Family; It feels lonely because you don’t want to put the weight of cancer on them and make them worry.

Socially; social media makes it look like I’m missing life and everyone is having fun except me. I see all the pictures of parties, events and even daily activities I’ve been invited to and it hurts. I feel like I’m existing not living, I’m left behind.

As you can all see they are completely devoted to their son and want to be their every step of the way. Your help with ensure they have the necassary help to pay for expenses like accommodation & travel to and from london in this difiicult time.

Lets all help to make this families christmas alittle better so please dig deep any donations will greatly be recieved and your support means more than words

Thank You