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My name is Paula, I am married to Steve and we have 4 children. Alex is 9, Jade is 13, Robert is 15, and Adele died on November 30th 2003 aged 16. This nightmare began in January 2001 when Adele was 13 ½, with a phone call from the school to say that she had passed out. 5 months of trips backwards and forwards to the G.P.’s followed with diagnoses of hormonal problems and migraines. Eventually on Tuesday may 15th, 5 days after her 14th birthday, the optician spotted a problem. By that night we were in Newcastle general and the world as we knew it ceased to exist. Adele had an operation on Thursday to remove as much as possible of the tumour, which we later found to be a Glioblastoma multiform.
Adele had 8 months of chemotherapy and 6 weeks of radiotherapy during which I don’t think she spoke to anyone at the hospital. In January 2002, the treatment protocol finished and she had a clear scan – no visible tumour. Adele was a perfectionist and she spent the next year catching up on GCSE coursework, refusing to hand it in unless it was up to standard. Adele received a Braveheart award in October 2002 and was presented with a telescope – her ambition was to be an astronomer. From September 2002 she began to have intermittent symptoms and on January 18th 2003 our worst fears came true when she was admitted with a recurrence. Another course of chemotherapy was tried which seemed to hold the tumour for a few weeks. In April, Adele was told that it wasn’t working and she wasn’t going to get better. She chose to try palliative chemo. She cried for a while and then seemed to decide that she would get on with her life. She changed from a quite uncooperative person who wouldn’t talk to anyone, into this wonderful person that we couldn’t keep quiet. She was nominated for a Princess Diana memorial award which included a visit to Althorpe. We had a brilliant weekend in London sightseeing and going to the theatre which she loved. She met Michael Owen and the rest of the England team, Gareth Gates and Bobby Robson. To top it all she had a ride in a silver convertible [her lifetime wish]. Even though the palliative chemo kept her symptoms at bay she still deteriorated physically but never complained or questioned it – just got on with it. In June 2003 she sat the 5 GSCE’s she had been put in for and received A’s and B’s. Adele never lost her sense of humour even during her final weeks when she was very poorly. She died quite peacefully at home with her family by her side – it wasn’t until this final moment that I lost the last shred of hope that maybe – she just might get better.
During Adele’s illness, I became friendly with a number of other parents. These friendships have continued and I have found the support invaluable. I know not all parents have this and during a phone call to Jill one day, the idea of a support group was mentioned. The idea was discussed with Sue Carey and Ali – and here we are! |
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Paula’s Story |
