'So proud of my children after everything they have been through'

Well today is different.

Yes it’s about a huge emotional feeling but this is by no means a burden.

It is a heart swelling moment of pride.

Pride for the amazing people my children have become after all they have been through.

Recently, Lois accompanied me to Christies for my 6 weekly treatment.

As she looked on watching 4 phials of blood being taken and being wired up to an ECG monitor, she waited patiently until it was time to see the doctor.

A doctor I had never met before, walked into the room to exclaim my CT scan results were back and that everything was stable.

Upon questioning his meaning for ‘stable’ he said “the lesion in your chest, it’s stable”.

I immediately went cold. Having been assured there was no lesion in my chest and that it had been misinterpreted for the bent rib I had been born with by numerous doctors, I questioned how he could be wrong.

I felt a fraud having written a blog and been in 2 newspapers because of this.

But he was adamant it was still there and was stable. He then went on to ask if I had a cold at the time of the scan as something had shown up in my lung, but he wasn’t concerned.

Too late because now I was. My white blood count was too low so I’d have to come back the following week for treatment after my weekend away, to Spain, which Carl had booked as I had missed out on so much on the previous trip, being ill.

When the doctor left the room Lois took one look at me and grabbed my hand and said “It’s all right mum, don’t worry.

I can see it in your face but please don’t worry”.

I drove us home with tears rolling down my cheeks wondering how I was going to get through the week ahead and not ruin the lovely trip Carl had planned.

I put it took the back of my mind and instantly felt better when Carl said he would accompany me on my next visit and get some answers.

On my return, I saw a different doctor who said the lesion didn’t exist and that he must have been reading from my old notes and that with the amount of treatment I’d had over 6 years there’s bound to be some inflammation in organs, that if it were her, she wouldn’t have mentioned it.

So I spent 7 days with that fear when I didn’t need to.

My blood count was at the correct level now so I was able to have treatment even though the building next door went up in flames. We managed to return home unhurt.

Following this was the Christmas present Santa had left in their stockings; to watch Arianna Grande in concert at Manchester Arena.

All 4 of us went as a family and how lucky we were to have Carl there who kept us safe and calm after the bomb went off, when I was ready to follow suit and be stricken with panic as the crowd went into mayhem.

That week our lives were deeply affected as more and more information was released about the bomber and the victims and that 22 had lost their lives.

A tragedy we will never ever forget and we were humbled when Arianna announced another Manchester benefit concert shortly afterwards that everyone at her concert was welcome to go to.

I bent over backwards to get tickets to show my children we cannot live in fear. (something that I have done for the past 6 years).

With the help of so many friends trying to get their hands on tickets for me, it was Hannah at The Warrington Guardian who saved the day.

We went on to have an amazing yet emotionally charged day.

So we brushed ourselves down and cracked on.

Carl and Darcey minimally affected and yet Lois and myself becoming upset about what had happened as the week went on.

To the point where today Lois went to speak to an expert in dealing with terrorist attack victims at the Peace Centre.

An hour later Lois emerged with the expert who came and sat to talk to me.

“Lois is the most emotionally intelligent person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. More so than any adult I have met within this role.” She’s only 11!!!!

My heart could have burst with pride as he went on to tell me about the meeting and how she was so well grounded and beyond her years.

“And the love she has for her family, especially her sister that is so rare these days.”

Yes our family has been through a lot more than most.

Yes her parents have both cheated death.

But we survived and are here to tell the tale.

Darcey, cool as a cucumber and Lois, being able to put her emotions into words.

Lois went on to say how unlucky people tell her she is having had to go through so much whilst growing up.

Her response is we are the luckiest family ever as we are survivors, who live to tell the tale.

I happen to agree with her. X

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