Written by David Cook, my husband and best friend.
It was taken on Mother's Day 2009 and has particular meaning to the both of us as this was the day that Carmela decided that she wanted to have her hair cut off so that she could wear the wig that would become part of her appearance for the next year. She did not want to experience losing her hair in clumps at a time so took the incredible brave decision to remove something that was so important to both herself and her appearance. I found the experience very upsetting as I knew how much Carmela loved her hair and no matter how great she looked (in this picture) she knew that it was a mask that she had to wear for the outside world, as my wife is not a quitter and refused to let her cancer affect our son's life. To anyone who saw Carmela from the day she was diagnosed with cancer you simply would not have known what she was going through as her only aim and desire was to get well again and carry on the life that she had before cancer. For over a year now she has gone to work as normal, continued doing the school runs, kept the house tidy and keeping my son and I well fed. All of this through a major operation and a gruelling 6 months of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy. I am glad to say that her hair has now grown back and she is happy to leave the house without her safety blanket of the wig.
Cancer is such a horrific disease, but I am overjoyed to say that my wife has fought it, beaten it and incredibly come out the other side a better person for it. I simply cannot put into words just how proud I am of her and all her amazing qualities and attributes through such a scary time, so I won't try, expect for saying that Rocco and I adore you.
With your support we can help many other families that have been effected by this horrible disease.
Thank you,
David.
Maurice Evans
Written by Darren Evans, my mother-in-law’s partner, about his father.
He was eagerly looking forward to his retirement so he could spend time playing golf, fixing motorbikes and going on holidays with my Mum. Not sure what the order of priority was. :)
Sadly very soon after he retired he noticed lumps in his neck which were diagnosed as non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. We were advised by the doctors that he had a 99.9% change of full recovery and we were encouraged that he would be able to enjoy his retirement after a short spell of chemotherapy.
We arranged for a family holiday in Las Vegas to coincide with his birthday in four months time.
Three months later, after the chemo had completed his conditioned worsened and the doctors advised he may only have a few months to live. Two weeks later just before his birthday and the holiday my Dad died.
I never remember my Dad ever being ill in his life, except for the occasional man flu. He was a very strong man, still had all his own teeth but such is the voracity of these types of illness he had no chance of survival. That was ten years ago and he is still missed very much. Dad had a knack for telling jokes and cheering everyone up whatever the circumstance, when faced with adversity his response was always "It'll be all right don't worry".
Brenda Honess
Written by Lynda Honess, my mother-in-law, about her mother.
She is an incredibly strong woman in mind, body and spirit and until 2008 had never had any health problems other than the usual colds and viruses that affect us all from time to time.
It was a huge shock when she was diagnosed with cancer. On the day the diagnosis was confirmed, she said “Let’s go home, be happy and positive and open a bottle of champagne, and then once the treatment is over we’ll open another”. I must admit we’ve cheated and opened many more since!
She has endured a major operation, two long years of treatment with many knock-backs along the way yet through all this she has kept her sense of humour and never stopped giving love and support to her family.
The entire family are amazed by her dignity and strength, and truly grateful that the champagne and laughter continues...
Tricia Mulrooney
A poem that Tricia had written to all of her family. Tricia was Brenda’s sister.
Friendship is like a tiny seed
Planting carefully is a must
You spray liberally with sincerity
And embed it deep for trust
Regularly give a lot of love
Throw in some kindness too
Supply a little spice of life
But that alone won't do
Blend everything with tenderness
Shower feelings good and true
Safeguard it fondly with your heart
Add a sprinkle of joy or two
Season it all with laughter
Also a portion of happiness
Spread generously your honesty
Now put in a slice of zest
Pour in a measure of good faith
Like a river let it flow
Mixed together with a helping hand
Encourages a relationship to grow
When you see the bloom appear
It shows on you one can depend
Digest this recipe with patience
And you will always have a friend
Irene June Harvey
Written by Andrea Marshall, my best friend, about her mother.
