Life is only as interesting as you make it. Well in my case that is very true because I’m willing it ignore advise and follow my nose. I said to a friend what I and Sophia do is no different to stamp collecting. And if I took her to a concert she would not have been able to talk to Justin Timberlake or Katy Perry one on one. Sophia has learned these stars have good days and bad days, just like her-self they are not perfect. The only difference between them and us is a pound sign, but that does not protect them from cancer, so they are just as vulnerable to this disease which makes them no different to her-self.
Sophia has observed four years of prods, pokes, biopsies, surgeries, lumpectomies, mastectomy, reconstructive surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and that list is still being added to with future appointments. Yet to my credit by blocking out emotional noise it has made her stronger and more willing to grasp with both hands at life. What people think is not important, but what she thinks is. Her confidence has grown and with a mature attitude.
Recently I found out a new school friends mummy of Sophia’s had developed breast cancer. Sophia’s friend did not know that I had breast cancer because Sophia refuses to talk about it with her peers, but for whatever reason both of them opened up and Sophia reassured her friend. Her friend had told her father before then that she felt she could not talk anyone because they did not understand. It is a shame that a child should feel so isolated amongst her peers. That she has to bottle all those emotions up, but that is exactly what Sophia had done too. Her only outlet was through asking me questions or her father.
Personally I would love to see more done or more help. Both I and her friend’s father who is a child psychologist agree there is a hole that needs filling. We have young girls who are scared because their mothers etc have developed breast cancer and now they fear the same outcome. We need to have some sort of drop-in for these children, so at least they can talk amongst themselves and reassure each other. The media have placed the reality of cancer out there with statistics, but those statistics were developed for adults. Children are no longer seen and not heard they have a voice and that voice is on mute.
Maybe this could be developed with the ‘Paint C Out!’ funds with the help of The Maggie Cancer Centres maybe the funds could be used to open up their doors on a Saturday for a young people’s/ children’s drop-in. ‘Paint C Out!’ is still in the early stages of being set up, but it would be nice to generate something from our four years’ experience, something that is focused on families facing cancer.
I'm going to leave you guessing at which star or stars will be next... lol
