“When Ben was just a baby, he had Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, and that was the first time I met Beryl and the rest of the people at PACT. Beryl is really the face of the charity, and she would literally do anything for anybody. I was so impressed by the support she offered families in the ward that I’ve stayed in touch.
“When I get any spare time I make greetings cards for PACT to sell on and raise more money for their work. The difficulty for small charities like PACT is that they don’t get enough attention. People recognise big national names, but don’t know that Beryl and her team are working quietly in Sheffield making things better for some very sick children and very worried parents.
“Now I’m seeing PACT’s work first hand again, because Ben is ill again. This time there weren’t any symptoms. He’d broken his leg last May, and when the Doctor took the case off, his leg just looked sort of funny. I asked for a blood test, and when I saw the white blood cell count I just knew something was wrong.
“This time around Ben, who also has Downs's syndrome, has something called Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. On a typical clinic day, we’re out of the house about 7 so we can beat the traffic to get to our appointment. We’d maybe get home for a very late lunch. At the moment, he’s really quite poorly, and has been admitted to the ward.
“Lots of people say to me, I don’t know how you cope. But the thing is you don’t cope, you just get on with it, because you have to, because your children need you to. There just isn’t another option. All the parents get very tired and it’s PACT that pick up the slack and make sure everyone has what they need to keep going – a sandwich, a chat, a shoulder to cry on or even a bed for the night in the nearby PACT house.
“We’re lucky because we live quite close by, but for those who come from as far away as Grimsby, the house really is a saviour. People just couldn’t afford to stay near their children otherwise, and there are times when you just can’t afford not to be close at hand.
“PACT provide a combination of emotional and practical support, and you can really see the difference it makes to families. It’s so difficult to see someone so small going through so much, but it’s important to make things as easy for them as it can be. PACT help make that possible. They’re there when the bottom has dropped out of your world, and the value of that support just can’t be underestimated.”