A little about us and how we came to be under the loving care of WOLO
What can I say about the team?
What can I say about the team?
Let’s start with how amazingly friendly, welcoming and kind they are!A little about us and how we came to be under the loving care of Wolo:
My name is Catherine, my husband Duncan was involved in a bad motorcycle accident on his way home from work in July 2020. Following the accident, he was hospitalised, he now has metalwork in his leg and ankle and uses a wheelchair or a stick to get around. Duncan has had four different operations over the past three years. Duncan was struggling with increasing pain levels and at the time we were unaware of the true underlying additional reasons for this. In 2021, we contacted Duncan’s GP who put him on more medication as he was struggling to even lift himself out of bed due to the pain in his back and ribs. Duncan’s symptoms continued. Fast forward to May 2022. Duncan’s GP gave him a specific blood test after hearing his list of symptoms, which then within the space of two weeks led to a full body MRI, a bone marrow biopsy and a diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma, which is an incurable blood cancer. We were told that Duncan has cancer lesions in his neck, spine and pelvis. We were told that he would have to start chemotherapy immediately. Duncan had 16 gruelling rounds of chemotherapy, halfway through he was struggling greatly with all the horrible effects that chemotherapy has on your body and he just wanted it all to end. We were told if he stopped the treatment that he would only have months to live. Duncan pushed through to continue the chemotherapy and all of the accompanying medications.
During this time period, I was looking for any charities that could help us with information and support during what felt like the loneliest, hardest battle. Duncan had already lost his full-time job on medical grounds due to his previous injuries and really needed some hope. I had also been made medically redundant from my full-time job due to needing a couple of operations myself over this period. We have a son Thomas who is now five years old. At the time of Duncan’s cancer diagnosis, he was three years old and had just been diagnosed with autism.
It was at this point that we then came across Fler and Wolo through a friend of mine who had previously raised money for them and sent me a link to their website.
I phoned Fler and explained a little about our situation. Fler and Justin then came to our home to hear our story and from that day onwards Wolo have been such a huge comfort and support to us!
When Duncan had to go to King’s Hospital in London for his stem cells to be harvested, Wolo put us in touch with a family who had already been through this to help answer questions we had. On the way home from the hospital in London having just had his stem cells harvested, we were involved in a car accident where someone drove into the side of us, writing off the car we were in and putting me in hospital in London for a week with my injuries. Wolo stepped in to arrange meals on wheels for Duncan while I couldn’t be there to care for him. Wolo also have arranged for me to receive care from an amazing Chiropractor, Becky, who is also a member of the Wolo family. She has assisted me with ongoing pain management of the physical symptoms I’m still battling so that I can continue to support Duncan who had to go on to have a stem cell transplant, at one point it was touch and go if he would even make it home. Then after a small break to allow his body to get some strength back, he had to go on to endure another 8 rounds of chemotherapy. Duncan has fought so hard to stay with us!
Duncan’s health had taken such a battering, this along with his lack of mobility or ability to really leave the house, Wolo recently funded a Nutritionalist to help us work a plan to help Duncan. This has been such a blessing as Duncan was recently diagnosed with steroid-induced type 2 diabetes and they have been able to help him find the best diet to try and make sure that this doesn’t lead to more complications.
Wolo have also provided psychological support through one of the kindest ladies you could meet named Jane, who is another member of the Wolo family. Jane has got me through some really dark days! Just knowing that through Wolo I get to see her each week to discuss everything that we are coping with as a family is such a valuable resource! Jane has helped me to stay positive and has kept me sane and able to focus on supporting our young son Thomas in all he needs and Duncan through his exhausting, painful and emotional cancer journey.
We have also received practical support from Marcos, who is such an inspiring member of Wolo Foundation. Marcos came and waterproofed our garage wall for us when it was leaking.
Wolo have also been a support to our son Thomas in so many ways. They gifted him a teddy polar bear when they first met him and he carries it everywhere he goes and hugs it every night. He has been able to attend events put on by WOLO to be able to run around and play with other children who have been impacted by cancer. Due to Thomas being autistic and struggling with being easily overwhelmed along with injuries I have, we needed to find a way to be able to get out as a family but to keep Thomas safe and for Duncan to be able to not worry about us. Wolo stepped in and bought us a wagon. This wagon meant we could go on our first family day out in so long. Thomas was safe in his wagon, allowing me to not have to carry anything which meant I could concentrate on helping him and Duncan who could just focus on his wheelchair manoeuvring and not worry about Tom or me hurting ourselves.
All we can do is sing Wolo's praises and say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for how much they have supported us as a family. We will forever be grateful for all the things that kind donations have made possible. Wolo have achieved something absolutely amazing, for families like ours to be able to get through what cancer throws at us with support, positivity and hope! Without all that Wolo have done for us, this cancer journey would have been unbearable!
Please don’t hesitate to donate to support more families battling cancer! Everything I have told you comes from my heart and personal experience of the Wolo Foundation. They as a whole are amazing rays of sunshine at a time when hope and a smile is so precious! They have so many families to look after, but they always make you feel like they have time for you. None of us know how long we have left as a family before cancer takes our loved ones, but your donations really can make such a difference! Wolo really live by their motto of “we only live once,” so we all need to make the most of the time we have and what we do really count!