Bodhi's Story
Bodhi and his family visited the Lodge from March 24th.
"It was just an ordinary half term break. Bodhi was having a whale of a time and living life to the fullest having enjoyed his very first half term at school.
On the Tuesday he woke up complaining of a sore throat and when I had a look I was shocked to see his tonsils almost completely blocking his throat.
I phoned the GP but couldn't get an appointment until the next day. A day later and the nurse took one look at his throat and sent us immediately to the hospital.
The next 24 hours were a blur. Test after test, scans, ultrasounds and examinations; overnight he could hardly breathe, which was terrifying.
By Thursday afternoon my husband and I were being given the news that our beautiful five-year-old boy had cancer and we were put in an ambulance and sent to Bristol Children's Hospital.
A huge, and very scary, surgery followed where tonsils and adenoids were removed, biopsies were taken, tests were carried out and a central line was fitted.
It was very touch and go. Bodhi was diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and began treatment immediately.
For the next month or so we lived in the hospital but we have other children, including an 18 month old baby, so my husband and I had to work in shifts relentlessly going back and forth between home and the hospital.
It was impossible. We felt like we were in the wrong place no matter where we were and rarely saw each other or had any family time. Eventually we were discharged before Christmas and continued treatment at our local hospital.
Although more convenient, we have still had many appointments, procedures and in-patient stays in Bristol and have been going back and forth to our hospital most days.
As well as the indescribable emotional toll this has taken on us all we have been unable to be a 'normal' family for a very long time now.
We are so unbelievably grateful to charities like The Ben Saunders Foundation, who offers the opportunity to come together as a family and enjoy a slice of quality family time and the chance to make precious memories."