Chai’s support hailed at £1.1m fundraiser
LUCY LANDAU was 34, and 36 weeks pregnant with her second child, when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.
At a time that should have been joyous and exciting, the Hampstead Garden Suburb mum was instead paralysed with fear about what lay ahead.
“I had to have my baby and start treatment right away,” Mrs Landau told the JC at Monday’s Chai Cancer Care dinner, which raised £1.1 million for the support charity. “It was completely unexpected. We were plunged into the unknown.”
She and husband Paul spent the first few months “trying to get on with life, looking after a new-born baby daughter [as well as a two-year-old son] and coping with cancer treatment.”
Taking up the story, Mr Landau said “it took some time before we realised we needed some help”.
After contacting Chai, they received counselling, alternative therapies and advice on how to live with the diagnosis.
“I tried most of the services that were offered to see what worked for me, from the counselling to the healing to the massage.
“It made me feel like I was massively supported,” Mrs Landau said.
“They gave us a buffer to deal with that situation. They helped me tell my son about hair loss and treatment. They were just there for me.
“I remember that, after my scans, I couldn’t go to see the children and I would sit in the Chai art room and do painting.
“They were always at the end of the phone and I used them far more than I would have imagined.”
Mr Landau added: “The scenario we were in was horrendous. It should have been the most exciting time for our family but it wasn’t.
“We were moving house, I was changing jobs, we had a new baby. It was so stressful. You realise the only thing that really matters is your health and your happiness.”
Mrs Landau has been in remission for 19 months and says she does not know where she would be without the support of Chai.
“You find the strength because you have to. But we had to dig deep to enjoy our new daughter and they helped us to do that.
“When the doctors and nurses go away, you’re not the same person. Chai has helped me to feel like myself again.”
The 750 guests at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm were told by Chai president Lord Young that their backing was vital, as “we get no government funding and the money we spend is truly your money”.
Louise Hager, Chai’s chair, said the charity never turned people away.
“The cancer journey changes throughout, often unexpectedly, and we match those twists and turns, always with the ultimate aim to empower our clients to deal with whatever set of circumstances they may face.”