Dad’s marathon effort for charity that helped family through cancer
ADAD from Tiverton is taking on the London Marathon for charity after his daughter was diagnosed with cancer aged just one.
Charlie Saunders is running the 26.2 miles on Sunday, April 21, for Young Lives vs Cancer, the charity which supported his daughter Mary and his whole family when she was diagnosed with leukaemia.
Charlie said they were in a state of “complete shock” when they were told just how ill she was.
He and Mary’s mum Jo had taken her to the doctors when she became unwell after having been previously a very healthy, robust child.
“She gradually become pickier about eating as her appetite reduced, would wake up crying rather than chatting happily in her cot, her tummy looked bloated and with an unprompted nosebleed we started to realise something wasn’t right,” said Charlie.
“She was clearly more tired, despite rallying herself for nursery. She then had many small bruises all over her legs which appeared very quickly which raised the alarm for both her nursery keyworker and us.”
The family were sent to hospital by their GP for blood tests.
“At around 11pm while waiting for results we heard the consultant come upstairs and we were asked to go into the relatives room – at that point we knew something serious was wrong” he said.
“We felt a sense of total disbelief, and shock. It was almost impossible to believe our sunny, bouncy little girl was so desperately unwell.”
Charlie said Mary’s diagnosis turned their lives upside down completely.
“We were doing 12-hour shifts in the hospital. Mary started steroid treatment followed by chemotherapy within hours of being admitted to hospital. This put huge strain on day-to-day family life, with Jo and I like passing ships in the night,” he said.
“It was also very difficult for Mary’s older sister Molly (four at the time) and brother Max (seven at the time) to understand what was happening to their little sister.”
Charlie said he and Jo stopped working so that they could care for both Mary and her siblings.
“The constant state of high alert was exhausting and created ongoing heightened anxiety,” he said. “We saw no day light at all in the early stages of treatment, spending 12 hours in a room without windows. We repeatedly felt overwhelmed at the enormity of the situation we were facing.
“However, as parents you push on through and tackle it head-on with the hope of light at the end of a tunnel.”
While on treatment, Mary suffered significant side effects, including being diagnosed with neutropenic sepsis three times. At one point she was seriously unwell with a respiratory infection and for days lay almost motionless and without expression on oxygen.
“It was in honesty a battle to maintain hope and momentum in those deeply dark days,” said Charlie.
Throughout Mary’s cancer journey, the Saunders family was supported by friends, family and charities like Young Lives vs Cancer, which helped bring moments of hope.
The charity helps children and young people (0-25) and their families find the strength to face whatever cancer throws at them. Its socialworkers offer specialist support, its Homes from Home offer families a free place to stay near to the child’s hospital and grants help families to navigate the costs of cancer.
Charlie said: “A cancer diagnosis is an overwhelming, confusing and perplexing time, with so many unknown and unexpected challenges.
“The charity helped us navigate this with continuous support, knowledgeable experience and an allocated social worker so we could direct any questions.
“Without the support of Young Lives vs Cancer, it would have been a lonelier and even more isolating experience.”
Today, Mary is seven and thriving, and the family is gradually rebuilding a life with three happy, healthy children.
“Cancer unexpectedly and traumatically turned our lives completely upside down,” said Charlie.
“It has changed our perspective on life with the ability to recognise our values as a family and determine what is important to us in life.
“It has also highlighted that you never really know what’s round the corner and we need to live our best life now, which is partly the reason for our move from Berkshire to Devon in 2021 when Mary finished first line treatment.
“We are now living the Devon dream. Mary is at primary school and is loving learning, reading and writing. She is a confident, fun loving little girl with a brilliant sense of humour and a passion for animals and dolls.
“She says she would like to be a vet or a doctor when she grows up. We are enormously proud of how far she has come.
“I decided to take on the London Marathon as I felt it was time I gave something back and to say a big thank you to a charity that is so close to our hearts as a family, following all the support they gave us through an extremely challenging three years. I also wanted to raise awareness and the money raised will make a difference to the lives of children and young people with cancer.”
Sophie Hartley, from the charity, added: “We can’t thank Charlie enough for his amazing efforts, taking on the challenge of a lifetime for Young Lives vs Cancer. We are in awe of his dedication and determination. We can’t wait to cheer Charlie and Team Young Lives all the way to the finish line.”
To sponsor Charlie and his London Marathon effort, go to https://2024tcslondonmarathon.enthuse. com/pf/charlie-saunders.
For more information about the charity , visit www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk.