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Molly was diagnosed with cancer when she was just two-years old. Weeks before, her mother Sarah and father Matt noticed a huge change in their daughter’s energy levels, her bubbly personality had diminished and some unusual symptoms had appeared. She was not interested in playing and wanted to spend a lot of time alone, which was very unlike their daughter. However, they certainly weren’t prepared for what was next. Molly had an appointment at East Surrey hospital for her heart murmur and they chose this opportunity to discuss the symptoms they had noticed with the consultant. Within six hours Molly had been diagnosed with cancer. She spent the next two and a half years, half her life, receiving chemotherapy.
Molly begun her chemotherapy treatment at Southampton Hospital but was transferred to Ashford and St Peters Hospitals in February 2016. It was there that one of the oncology nurses introduced Sarah, Matt and Molly to Momentum Children’s Charity.
Sarah, Molly’s mother, describes their experience, “We didn’t know what to expect from the charity, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure how much they’d be able to help. We found it hard to accept help and we had got used to coping alone. But the nurses spoke very highly of the Family Support Workers and we wanted to find out more about some of the therapy services, such as the use of music”
“We met with our dedicated Family Support Worker and to my surprise it was just what we needed. My focus was always on ensuring Molly had everything she could possibly want and was being entertained, I never had time to think about myself. I felt like Niki, our Family Support Worker, was thinking about me, as well as Molly.”
“The days in the hospital always felt very very long and it can be incredibly lonely. It really helped being able to just talk to someone. Niki was great at putting my mind at ease and understood what we were going through. They made my life and Molly’s life just that bit easier, which makes all the difference. Molly adores Niki to this day”.
Molly and family were also able to benefit from music therapy sessions, respite holiday breaks in our New Forest cabins and trips on the Momentum boat. Matt, Molly’s father, explains, “We have been fortunate enough to enjoy the respite holiday breaks that Momentum Children’s Charity offer to families. We visited the cabin a few times in the New Forest and had a fantastic time. We all saw it as a mini holiday and it gave us the chance to spend time together in a safe environment, it was a relief knowing everything was set up for our situation and circumstance. We loved the beach hut! Molly was able to be a normal child and we all felt relaxed, for once.”
“Parents in a similar position should learn from my experience and accept help. It’s too tough to cope alone and it really does make a difference, even if you can’t see it at the time. Momentum Children’s Charity stepped in at the right time, and gave us such vital support that we weren’t even aware we needed, that really helped our entire family, and for that we are so thankful.”