Georgia Dean
Team Dandy Skydive - Help Harlow kick cancer's butt!
Fundraising for The Candlelighters Trust
Story
Candlelighters have been an amazing support to Mitch and his family after their youngest daughter Harlow received a cancer diagnosis just before her 2nd birthday. Working with Mitch at The Dandy Arthouse we have seen how hard this has hit them and how Candlelighters support is invaluable in helping them on their incredibly challenging journey to kick cancer's butt!
Please read Esther's story below (Harlow's mum and Mitch's wife)
Hi, my name is Esther and I am a cancer Mum.
I never thought I would be saying those words but a year and a half ago my beautiful 18-month old daughter was diagnosed with cancer. Harlow had always been a relatively healthy child. She went to nursery and, apart from lots of coughs and colds, there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Then one day I was bathing her and noticed a lump on her head. I took her to the GP and they told me it was a cyst and to think no more about it. I felt deep down that it wasn't right- maybe it was a mother's instinct. Over time, this lump grew very large and, after lots of back and forth with the doctors, on the 14th of Dec my husband and I were given the devastating news that our daughter had leukaemia. This news came as a shock and I felt in that moment I wanted to curl up, cover my ears and pretend it was not happening. In just a day, all our lives changed forever. I remember screaming out the words "Is my baby going to die!"
I couldn't see through the tears that filled my eyes. Nothing could have prepared us for the journey we were about to embark on and we would need more support now than every before. We luckily had an amazing support system of family and friends and from the wonderful charity Candlelighters who have supported us emotionally and the activities they provide for the children and siblings are endless. They literally think of everything from massages for the parents and hair cuts, as leaving the hospital ward to sometimes do the day to day norm is almost impossible at times. They have also sent us for a family break to Center Parcs so we could have some much needed family time away from the stress of the situation, the list could go on and on. But without peoples generous donations non of this would be possible to enable families like mine the practical and emotional support they deserve. So please support this crazy gang who are willing to jump out of a plane for donations towards the incredible work of Candlelighters, thank you!