Abbie’s Story: “You gave me a Home from Home. Thank you”

I’m a hands-on person. I work in a care home for elderly dementia patients, and I’m quite crafty too. I make resin earrings and jewellery, and I really enjoy doing nails.

I have a rare genetic condition that causes tumours in different parts of my body. I remember crying when the surgeon told me one of the tumours was cancer. It was so shocking.

Quite quickly, I was put in touch with Kate, a specialist social worker from Young Lives vs Cancer. She’s been so kind and supportive. I know I can message her whenever I need, and she’ll help me out.

I live in Guernsey but our hospital is in Southampton, so accommodation and travel has been really expensive. Kate helped us get a financial hardship grant and put me in touch with other charities so we could pay expenses such as taxis and parking.

Kate arranged for us to stay at Jean’s House, a home for families like ours close to the hospital. It was a home from home – the beds were comfortable, there was plenty of space, and they even had Xboxes. It really eased our stress.

I can’t put into words how thankful we are to supporters like you. You’ve provided so much comfort and taken a weight off our shoulders.

Now, with you on her side, Abbie is looking to the future with hope – and has plans to open her own nail salon.