“Why organisations like the Joshua Tree are so important to the families in North Wales….

Childhood Cancer

….the word Cancer alone raises fear but when it is preceded by the word “childhood”, life as you knew it has been lost forever. The dynamics of the whole family are altered and you have no choice but to be carried along on this journey floundering as you go but holding on to each other and not letting go.

From the young to the old, it’s effects are profound.

I am a Nainy to Henry James Castle. Henry is the only child of our eldest daughter Charlotte and he was diagnosed in 2021 aged 2yrs old with acute lymphocytic leukaemia.

Charlotte and Henry lived with myself, my husband and our other children and as a family we are extremely close. Henry’s relationship with our other children is more like one of siblings than that of Aunt and Uncle. He has known great love in his life throughout all of his treatment and his wonderful mum Charlotte has been beside him fighting for him every step of the way.

This is where the support of The Joshua Tree and it’s staff becomes so important to families like ours.

Henry needs support, Charlotte needs support and so it goes on, the circle of care.

The Joshua Tree supports not only Henry but the whole family, to enable us all to carry on the circle of care throughout Henry’s treatment.

The children need to be able to talk freely, without fear of making me sad, to express their own personal worries and fears to their own trusted adult. This has been

invaluable, they have had regular sessions in school and outside of school, opportunities for the “f” word. FUN.

Fun still needs to be a part of our lives, now more than ever but as an adult it’s hard to be all singing all dancing and full of enthusiasm when your heart is breaking. My heart is breaking for my daughter, who longed for her own baby after being such a fabulous daughter and sister. She went to uni, got her degree, a great well-paid job in recruitment with financial freedom.

She had two years of being a normal carefree young mum. We would both walk along the prom as proud as punch taking turns to push Henry in his pram. My heart breaks for Henry, who although has known nothing but love, has fought so many battles in his little body.

My heart breaks for my other children who after the mental stress of lockdown have to deal with this on top of that whilst doing GCSE’s and A levels. They have unfortunately become members of a club that unless you are one, you couldn’t possibly begin to understand the added levels of fear and worry and also guilt that we are ok and Henry isn’t. They see their big sister weighed down with the responsibility of caring for a child-like Henry, of never being able to plan days out or holidays because there is no guarantee he won’t spike a temperature and end up in hospital. My heart breaks for my husband who has lost his wife and the plans we had made for our lives that are on hold indefinitely. As another day draws to an end, I lie in bed and I cry. I can’t fix it for any of them. My heart is broken.”