Nicholas Leech
Longest Day Team Teo - Marcus Dave Nick Nick
Fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support
Story
Mateo Howarth was diagnosed with AML Leukaemia on Tuesday 24th September 2019. He was 2 years and 3 months old. He had been poorly for a couple of weeks; pale and lethargic, with high temperatures and small bruises on his body. Initially on presentation at hospital, he was treated for meningitis but when his blood results came back - they confirmed he had Leukaemia. Parents Marcus & Sarah tell the story...
We were taken to The Royal Manchester Childrens Hospital where we stayed for nearly 7 months. Mateo endured 4 rounds of intense chemotherapy, the first round being administered whilst he was in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, where he needed ventilation on life support for almost three weeks because the leukaemia had affected his lungs.
We first met our lovely Macmillan nurse Andrea during this time on PICU. She explained the treatment Mateo was receiving, talked us through the trial drugs we’d been recommended for Mateo, and helped to prepare us for the side effects the chemotherapy would have on our gorgeous boy. Andrea was the main communication point between myself and my new employer, organising my year off to concentrate on Mateo’s treatment and recovery.
Invaluably, our brilliant Macmillan Nurse also provided much needed support to our two other young children. At the time, our daughter Harriet was 7 and our other son, Seve was only 5. They were sad and worried for Mateo, upset and confused about his illness and how it meant that we couldn’t be together as a family as either their Mummy or Daddy, or both of us, was miles away from them in hospital. Andrea visited Harriet and Seve at their school to explain to them and their classmates how Doctors and Nurses are really good at getting people better and how we should try to be strong when people we know are poorly. This gave the opportunity for our daughter and son to talk about their brothers illness in a safe environment with a nurse who knew Mateo and reassured them that the hospital was the best place for him to be at the moment. As parents, we felt reassured that the Macmillan charity was able to help our whole family through the worst times. Andrea has been there for us throughout our journey, offering support and advice and was; and continues to be, our link between the Oncologists and Haematologists during Mateo’s follow up treatment and still now, during his remission. As a whole family we will forever be grateful and thankful to our Macmillan Nurse and the charity as a whole, for supporting us through the toughest time we have ever faced and are ever likely to face.
Sarah and Marcus Howarth.
Thanks for supporting our fundraising. At Macmillan, we give people with cancer everything we’ve got. If you’re diagnosed, your worries are our worries. We’re doing whatever it takes. But without your help we can’t support everyone who needs us.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs.
We were taken to The Royal Manchester Childrens Hospital where we stayed for nearly 7 months. Mateo endured 4 rounds of intense chemotherapy, the first round being administered whilst he was in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, where he needed ventilation on life support for almost three weeks because the leukaemia had affected his lungs.
We first met our lovely Macmillan nurse Andrea during this time on PICU. She explained the treatment Mateo was receiving, talked us through the trial drugs we’d been recommended for Mateo, and helped to prepare us for the side effects the chemotherapy would have on our gorgeous boy. Andrea was the main communication point between myself and my new employer, organising my year off to concentrate on Mateo’s treatment and recovery.
Invaluably, our brilliant Macmillan Nurse also provided much needed support to our two other young children. At the time, our daughter Harriet was 7 and our other son, Seve was only 5. They were sad and worried for Mateo, upset and confused about his illness and how it meant that we couldn’t be together as a family as either their Mummy or Daddy, or both of us, was miles away from them in hospital. Andrea visited Harriet and Seve at their school to explain to them and their classmates how Doctors and Nurses are really good at getting people better and how we should try to be strong when people we know are poorly. This gave the opportunity for our daughter and son to talk about their brothers illness in a safe environment with a nurse who knew Mateo and reassured them that the hospital was the best place for him to be at the moment. As parents, we felt reassured that the Macmillan charity was able to help our whole family through the worst times. Andrea has been there for us throughout our journey, offering support and advice and was; and continues to be, our link between the Oncologists and Haematologists during Mateo’s follow up treatment and still now, during his remission. As a whole family we will forever be grateful and thankful to our Macmillan Nurse and the charity as a whole, for supporting us through the toughest time we have ever faced and are ever likely to face.
Sarah and Marcus Howarth.
Thanks for supporting our fundraising. At Macmillan, we give people with cancer everything we’ve got. If you’re diagnosed, your worries are our worries. We’re doing whatever it takes. But without your help we can’t support everyone who needs us.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs.