FUND- RAZOR!
Shaving her hair was Madeleine’s way of supporting her sick hubby
The phone line buzzed as I waited to be connected to the posh hotel where me and husband Patrick, then 35, were going to spend our sixth anniversary.
It was where we’d been for our honeymoon.
When the receptionist answered, though,
I struggled to find words. After all,
I wasn’t booking a fancy surprise dinner or a room upgrade. Instead…
‘Hello. I’m afraid we’ll need to cancel our booking,’ I said. ‘My husband has been diagnosed with cancer.’
And there it was – our lives had changed overnight.
It was June last year, and Patrick had been feeling uncomfortable, with pains in his stomach. Then he’d found a lump in his testicle, which doctors thought could be varicose veins.
In your ball?! I thought.
Is that possible?
Two days later, the GP rang.
Patrick was sent to a specialist, where he was told he had cancer.
It was all so sudden.
Just two days later, on 26 June – our wedding anniversary – Patrick went in to have the lump removed.
We’re not parents, but we had to think about the future. So some of Patrick’s sperm was frozen before the op.
Immediate family knew all that was happening, but we needed to tell everyone else. So we posted to Facebook.
As he recovered in bed,
I sat and read Patrick all the
Doctors thought the lump could be varicose veins
messages people were posting.
It made such a difference. Things had happened so fast, we were in total shock.
But, a few weeks on, scans and blood tests revealed more bad news.
‘The cancer’s in your lymph nodes,’ the doctor said. ‘You need chemotherapy.’
Treatment was scheduled for 29 July – the day after Patrick’s 36th birthday. Talk about cancer ruining all our big days!
‘We need to make a will,’ we agreed, realising how serious this could be.
Luckily, both our bosses were understanding – Patrick was signed off, and I took time off from my teaching job at a local college when I needed it.
That was when we decided to take each day as it comes. Bad days were allowed. And mad days. Like when I decided how I’d support Patrick…
Chemo had hit him hard, and his hair started coming out in clumps.
I want to do something positive,
I thought. And raise money.
I’d read about people who struggled to make ends meet during the treatment.
But what to do..? A marathon?
No, not for me…
Good cause
Seeing a Macmillan Cancer Care leaflet, I decided I’d do Brave the Shave, where I’d have all my hair shaved off to raise money.
And I’d donate my hair to the Little Princess Trust, which makes real-hair wigs for free for kids with cancer. On 24 November last year, I sat with my Drama students around me as the
Hair & Beauty students at college started up the hair clippers. Bzzzzzz!
As they trimmed, my blonde hair fell to the floor. Eek! What’d I done? I knew it was worth it, though, every time I thought of Patrick, and the children who’d get my hair.
I’d hoped to raise £500, but now it’s closer to £5,000 and I feel so proud.
Last October, Patrick got the all-clear, though he needs regular checkups. My hair’s grown out from
I wanted to do something positive – and raise money
a buzzcut to a pixie style now– which is a good job, as we’re off to our honeymoon hotel at last.
Maybe I should book the fancy dinner and get the room upgrade this time.
After all, life – like my new hair – is short.