On the 25th August 2022, Soph was diagnosed with an acute type of Leukaemia. No one could believe it, we’d thought that maybe Soph had Glandular Fever, after struggling with tonsillitis that wasn’t getting better with treatment. We were so wrong. It was an aggressive type of Leuakemia, needing aggressive treatment, Soph faced her first few weeks in hospital with such bravery, before having some respite at home with me and her mum, such precious days. In mid October, after an anxious wait for the results of a bone marrow biopsy we were elated to learn that the 1st round of treatment had put Soph into remission. However, she needed further Chemotherapy to keep it that way and to aim for a cure, Soph began her 2nd round of treatment shortly afterwards. Just as she completed the 2nd round and was supposed to be coming home, again things took a very bad turn extremely quickly. Soph developed extreme complications from the Chemotherapy she was admitted into intensive care with severe sepsis and a host of other problems, and was quickly put onto life support.
The team were dedicated and caring and Soph herself was truly fighting so hard but after just over 2 nightmarish weeks, the doctors told us there was no more they could do. Soph was just so desperately poorly with such complex complications that they were getting worse.
Soph passed away on the afternoon of Thursday 17th November 2022, she was holding her Mum’s hand and holding mine with her dad and my parents there too. The team assures us that she would have felt no pain, we told her how deeply loved she is by us all and by the many, many people whose lives she has impacted – I hope she felt that somehow.
The speed at which everything happened only adds to our heartache, it meant that we couldn’t have a final meaningful conversation, Soph was an incredibly generous and caring person. As we struggle to come to terms with losing Soph, her parents and I would like to honour her memory by raising funds for The Hummingbird Centre, which is based near our home in Bicester.
During her time at home in between her 1st and 2nd rounds of treatment, Soph, her Mum and I visited The Hummingbird for an initial chat and introductions.
The centre offers counselling and a range of other therapies and services for people affected by cancer in a setting which is instantly calming and welcoming. I’m so sad to think that this was the first and only time Soph visited the centre. Even though the visit was brief, Soph came away saying she felt like it would offer her a “lifeline” at a time when she was struggling so much with what she was facing. The centre seemed to offer something Soph so desperately needed. An escape, a space to talk and be heard, to feel understood and to feel held.
The impact even from that brief visit was huge. It lifted Soph up, it lifted us all up and made things feel a little brighter that day. I can only imagine that countless others who visit there feel the same.
We know Soph would love the thought that we could support the centre in her honour.
Written by Soph’s wife