HEALTH &WELLBEING
“FAMILY, FRIENDS AND THE RAF BENEVOLENT FUND HAVE BEEN A SHINING LIGHT IN OUR DARK DAYS”
Learning of his daughter’s cancer diagnosis confirmed Sqn Ldr Phil Holdcroft and his wife Beth’s worst nightmare. Isla, their youngest daughter,now had agruelling fight on her hands to overcome leukaemia and endure the aggressive treatment that would follow.
Thefamily’sjourney began when, concerned that their daughter seemed to be continually unwell, Phil and Beth took her to their GP in the summer of 2014.
Phil, 36, explains: “Being beckoned into ahospital interview room and having our hearts ripped apart by the devastating news of Isla’s diagnosis was indescribably tough. Ifelt anger,denial and numb all at once. It seemed so unfair that Isla, abeautiful 22-month-old bundle of happiness and joy,should be dealt such acruel
blow.Ittook 36/48 hours for the news to fully register,but we knew immediately that we must be strong for her and give it everything we had to get her through it.”
Beth, then working as aprimary school teacher,gave up her job to become Isla’s full-time carer,attending hospital
36 Autumn 2016
appointments and treatment for Isla was their number one priority.
Phil, who works at RAF High Wycombe, added: “Overnight we went from being a two wage-earning family to asingle wage earning
family.Itwas acritical time to lose such abig chunk of our income and placed aconsiderable strain on the family.
“That was when we approached the RAF Benevolent Fund, who were able to help out with agrant to fund things like travel to hospital and staying away from home whilst Isla was an in-patient. Support from the RAF Benevolent Fund helped ease the pressure during avery vulnerable period, allowing us to focus wholly on Isla’s needs.”
During the course of Isla’s treatment the family have ridden arollercoaster of highs and lows, from the heartbreak of seeing her spend last Christmas in hospital, to the joy of finally being able to celebrate Isla’s remission.
At the peak of treatment, Isla underwent aggressive chemotherapy and several operations and still undergoes daily,gentler chemotherapy to keep her well.
To add to her discomfort, Isla’s cancer diagnosis came just amonth after Phil and Beth, 36, learned she had hip dysplasia (dislocated hip) which would need an operation. In acruel twist of fate, Isla’s operation came in the midst of her treatment for leukaemia and required a12-week stint in ahip spica –apair of deliberately paralysing, high-waisted plaster trousers. Once healed, Isla began the process of learning to walk for the third time.
Phil said: “While Isla’s end of treatment date is not until October 2016, and she will have to wait until 2021 until she is officially ‘cured’, we allow our minds to believe we will get there, while remaining firmly focused on the next step ahead.
raf-ff.org.uk
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