For parents Amanda and Paul, Claire House Children’s Hospice was there for them, supporting their 19 year old daughter Isabel during her illness and continuing to care for the family after they said goodbye. 

“Izzy was a happy, healthy girl,” says Isabel’s mum Amanda.

“During her first year at the University of Liverpool, she was thrilled to land a role at Camp America for the summer.

“But before her trip she began to experience pain and swelling in her jaw. The GP felt it was probably an infected wisdom tooth, needing a course of antibiotics.

“We all expected the pain to ease, but after arriving in the US it just kept getting worse.”

Isabel’s camp leader took her to get checked out and during the scans they found a tumour.

“We found out Izzy had cancer over a phone call,” shares Amanda.

“All you want to do is to comfort your child.

“But it was a couple of days until we could physically get to be with her again. It was traumatic.

“That moment changed our lives forever.”

A full scan revealed cancer in Isabel’s kidney, liver, adrenal glands, spine and pelvis. It was already stage 4 and incurable.

“Cancer brings with it helplessness,” says Amanda. “You're absolutely at the mercy of it.

“You're at your lowest point,” shares Paul, Isabel’s dad.

A family friend referred them to Claire House Children’s Hospice for support for Isabel and the family.

“As soon as the team from Claire House arrived at our house,” says Amanda, “it was like friends had arrived and could share the burden with us.”

“When I first met Izzy, she just blew me away,” shares Palliative Care Nurse Specialist, Laura. “She was so just humble and really didn’t want a to cause a fuss.

“Izzy just wanted to live her life. And we wanted to make sure that she could do that as much as possible.”

Laura and the team at Claire House supported Isabel with symptom management and helped with any concerns Amanda or Paul had.

“Laura explained how they aren’t just there for seriously ill children, they support young adults up to the age of 25.

“Izzy was only 19, still only on the cusp of adulthood.

“Laura talked to us about the specialist care and pain management they could offer Izzy and how she could try hydrotherapy and complimentary therapies.

“All a parent wants to do is to make sure your children are happy and healthy,” says Amanda. “And when you have a cancer diagnosis, all the parenting skills you've built up over the years go out the window because you're no longer in control.

“To have Claire House explain what we needed, and how they could support and guide us when we needed help, was not just important to Isabel but important to us as a family.”

“Claire House were a lifeline,” shares Paul.

“The team at Claire House didn’t just see a diagnosis, they truly got to know Izzy.

“Izzy really loved drama. After she told Laura and the team that she loved Les Misérables but didn’t think she would be well enough to go to the show we had booked, they arranged for the cast to come and meet Izzy.

“Izzy was also invited as a guest to a performance of the show at the Liverpool Empire,” shares Amanda.

“Izzy was very ill at the time, so we didn’t know whether she would be able to go, but Claire House made it possible with targeted symptom relief and support. It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and a dream come true for Izzy.”

Claire House were able to offer Isabel access to complementary therapies, providing an opportunity to be herself and help alleviate some of the pain she was feeling.

“When Claire House first offered reflexology to Izzy, she laughed at the idea,” says Amanda.

“She didn't think she would enjoy it, but she really came to love the complimentary therapy and found it so beneficial for her pain tolerance during those last few months.

“I think the time away from being sick, from being in hospital, just a little bit of time with Jane, the Complementary Therapist, meant everything to Isabel.”

Sadly, Izzy deteriorated quickly in the last few weeks.

“When the time came, she wanted us there with her, but due to Covid restrictions we couldn’t have done that in hospital,” explains Amanda.

“Claire House made it possible for us to be together. They provided palliative care that allowed Izzy to stay at home in her own bed, and we were both with her when she died.

“We couldn’t have had that without Claire House, and the end of life care they provided.”