Parents of Redruth girl hope to help others with sick children
They've set up Enya's Odyssey to make treatment less stressful for children and their families
Last updated 6th Apr 2023
The parents of a young girl from Cornwall who was diagnosed with leukaemia are now aiming to help other families in the same situation.
Enya from Redruth was diagnosed with the disease just after her fourth birthday, and after initial treatment at Treliske Hospital, it was decided she needed to be treated in Bristol instead.
That meant a massive upheaval for not only Enya, but also her mum Katie and dad Craig.
Katie told us, "Its been awful, obviously – getting the news your four year old child has cancer is anyone’s worst nightmare
"Our family and friends have been so supportive, we’ve had to leave everyone behind and we’ve not seen any of them for six months
"We’ve had to uproot our whole lives – of course, we would for Enya – but really really tough leaving friends and leaving work, and that’s why we decided to create a charity, Enya’s Odyssey, to support families who are going through the same situation as us."
The charity aims to make the experience less stressful for both the children and their families.
It's started off with the purchase of brightly coloured drip stands to make chemotherapy less daunting - they're now at the hospital in Bristol where Enya's been receiving her treatment.
They're also aiming to get things like toys and play equipment for the children.
Now Enya's back in Cornwall, they're also hoping to help Treliske Hospital too.
Katie says, "We are actually back now at Treliske Hospital, and the nurses and our doctor, absolutely amazing. We cannot fault them.
"Now because we're back here, we are fundraising for Clic ward in Treliske Hospital. So the first thing we're going to do for them is buy the drip stands and then start buying more resources."
An auction at the Victoria Inn at the weekend will help them do that, as it raised more than five thousand pounds for the charity - and more events, including a charity skydive, are planned
You can find out more about Enya's Odyssey here