Memories to Cherish

We have said many times that a Dream doesn’t always have to be something huge. A lot of times it can be something every day, something we would all take for granted in our everyday lives or something you didn’t realise would mean so much until you’re in this kind of situation.

This Dream is a simple one but something that is not just for the day but will live on for years to come. It was a request from a daughter for a loving father, so he could finally have a family photograph, a memory to cherish and something to look upon with joy for the rest of his days. We were lucky enough to facilitate this Dream, to arrange the photograph with children, grand-children and great grand-children and give them each a memory they can hold and look back on for many years to come. This is their story:

“My dad is an amazing Man , he was born 16th may 1940. Since he retired he has cut everyone’s grass around where he lives & rode his bike everywhere. He is known for riding a vintage butchers bike, fit as a Fiddle. In January 2015 I got a phone call from my uncle, the local pharmacy had rung him to say my dad had Collapsed there. l drove straight there to find my dad laid out on the floor. The ambulance Came and took him to A&E. They didn’t find anything wrong, My brother Came and thought my dad had Fallen on his face as his eye was swollen, dad was sent home. The dizziness Continued. In March I noticed his eye was puffy & droopy So I sent him to the doctors he was told it was dry eye. The eye had started to shed tears constantly. By March 2016 the eyeball was protruding from the Socket, he went for an eye test as a matter of routine, nothing was said to my dad but a letter was sent to his GP to say they had noticed Something behind the eye and had referred him to the eye clinic at DRI. At this point my dad had lost a stone in weight.

He was told there was nothing wrong with the eye but it wasn’t dry eye. They rang the hospital to get an emergency CT Scan. from this he was eventually referred to Sheffield where he saw doctor Morley Who is a haematologist & doctor Bridgewater the oncologist. Lots of tests and an orbital biopsy were done but my dad was adamant he wasn’t staying in overnight, they had never had a patient go home in the same day’ he didn’t stay. The diagnosis was malt lymphoma Which is a form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, no are but treatable. Dr Bridgewater had said that had it been a month later she would not have Been able to save the eye. That was June 2016. 12 Sessions of radiotherapy followed. In all this time he has never complained once.

His life has changed dramatically, even though his balance wasn’t great he wouldn’t give up riding his bike. My step mum said she was fed up of telling him he wasn’t safe, and would I talk to him. I asked him how he would feel under a vehicle, and how would that driver Feel? He said he’d never thought of it like that before, so put away the bike for good. The tumour has Shrunk and the team are really pleased. For Dad as the after effects that he has Struggled with, like most people I suppose, he is very limited from what he could do to what he can do now , but he just gels on with it. I heard him once tell a Friend he wasn’t ill he just had something behind his eye….!!!!

Sunday 11 March, Mother’s Day?

Now it was my dad’s day. Thanks to EvesTrust for giving my dad his dream of a photo with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Sadly not everyone could be there. We had our photo shoot in the beautiful library at Hallcross school. After speaking with Andy Lynch the photographer, we decided on the location. Dad was more suited to a traditional setting.

The day was quite emotional with a lot of laughter. I went to view and choose the photos and WOW!! there were some amazing ones, it was hard to choose. I just know dad will love them and when that dreaded day comes we will all have precious photos with him to cherish.

Dad can’t get about much now without extreme tiredness and balance issues, but the smile on his face that day was priceless. Plus Andy has asked dad if he can come and talk with him and take photos for an exhibition about Doncaster. Something my dad can now look forward to, that’s important.

It was an Amazing dream and an amazing charity, we can’t thank you enough x”