When Sharon and Richie from Hampshire got married, they took the beautiful decision to request donations to our charity rather than wedding gifts, raising over £1,000!

 

The couple wanted to thank our hospitals for saving the life of Lillia, Sharon’s granddaughter, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour when she was just a year old. 

 

As they made their vows they were acutely aware of how important it is to enjoy moments like this to the full - Sharon had previously lost her much-loved first husband, Les, to melanoma cancer, her mum had recently passed away, and she’d seen her daughter battle with Crohn’s disease. And Richie, was also widowed too, from a much loved wife in 2017.

  

And little Lillia, now four, had been through so much – which had touched them all. 

 

Sharon explains: “Her symptoms were subtle at first, but just after Lillia’s first birthday, we were hit with the devastating news that she had a brain tumour. Hearing those words… it felt like the cruellest blow.”

She was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer.  So while most one-year-olds are just beginning to explore the world around them, Lillia was undergoing an extremely lengthy operation to remove a tumour the size of a lemon from her brain. 

 

This was followed by a gruelling year of chemotherapy at the Oxford Children’s Hospital.

 

“It was an incredibly dark time for our family, but the hospital staff were extraordinary,” Sharon recalls. “From the anaesthetist who cut her holiday short to perform Lillia’s surgery, to the compassionate nurses, and the play and music therapists who brought smiles to Lillia’s face even during her hardest days. Every single one of them helped us through.”

 

The whole family had been deeply touched by watching the youngster - and it was this that led the couple to decide to ask for donations to our charity rather than traditional wedding gifts. 

“We already had homes full of everything we needed,” Sharon explains. “So it didn’t feel right asking for wedding gifts.”

 

Thanks to the dedication and expertise of the medical team, Lillia’s MRI scans have remained clear. But the journey hasn't been easy. The surgery left Lillia with lasting challenges—she lacks a safe swallow, so she’s 95% tube-fed, and at four years old, she’s only just taking her first steps. 

 

“Lillia is a beautiful happy child, friendly and sociable, always laughing with a wonderful sense of humour. She brings joy into the lives of everyone who spends time with her,” said Sharon.

 

For Sharon and Richie, seeing Lillia recover and grow was the greatest gift they could ever receive. So when it came time for their wedding, there was no question about who they wanted to have by their side.

 

“To have Lillia walk down the aisle as our flower girl was the only wedding present we needed. And she was so excited when she saw her pretty dress - it was a moment we’ll never forget.”

If you would like to donate please visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/sharon-chant-1716635004182