Ruby was diagnosed with lymphoma in December 2020. It’s hard to put into words how it affected us as a family; devastation, unbelievable fear like we’ve never felt before and a huge sense of helplessness. Adrian and I talked a lot about how we would tell our sons Jack (13) and Alex (10). We decided to be as honest as possible. We answered all their questions and told them we’d get the answers we didn’t have. They never walked into a sudden stop in conversation or were left out of discussions. They needed to be included. It was the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do, but we have never and will never give up.
Thankfully Ruby is now through treatment and is cancer free. The aftermath of cancer has been really hard. We found ourselves struggling with daily life, especially Ruby. As we got closer to school starting back, I noticed a change. She became clingier and would rarely let me out of her sight.
That’s when I knew she needed help, someone independent, outside the family she could offload on to. I thought she was afraid of upsetting me if she talked about her feelings.
We were put in touch with ARC through the childhood cancer foundation. Ruby does art therapy; it so suits her! She is loving it and gets excited about it every week. I have noticed a difference in Ruby since therapy started. Little bits of her old self are coming through, her independent streak is returning slowly and it’s great to see!
I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank ARC enough, they are helping us rebuild as a family.
I would have no hesitation recommending ARC to anyone who needs that bit of extra help. We all need it sometimes and thank god ARC are there.
