Lauren, 19 is from Nottingham

In February 2018 Lauren’s mum Lisa was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and tragically she passed away later that year. Lauren was introduced to Maggie’s, who receive funding from BBC Children in Need to deliver their support days to young people who have a relative affected by cancer.

Maggie’s has been funded by BBC Children in Need for the more than 10 years, it is a warm and welcoming place and it was somewhere where Lauren spent a lot of time following the loss of her mum. Two years later, Lauren unexpectedly passed out at home and was later diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in February 2021.

This was a hugely tumultuous time for Lauren and her father who were still struggling with the loss of her mother. Lauren had chemotherapy but this wasn’t as effective as had been hoped and Lauren also needed a stem cell transplant. For much needed care, Lauren and her father once again returned to Maggie’s who supported them both on Lauren’s journey to recovery. Lauren is now almost five months in remission and has started working at a local nursery.