This Mother’s Day, we’re bringing you a special story of friendship between three amazing mums who met on the ward in the Children’s Cancer Unit.
Despite all three of their children having different diagnoses and treatment protocols, Kerry, Kathryn and Nicola grew close as their children were all diagnosed within a few weeks of each other, and they all spent long periods in the hospital. Although they had the support of family and friends at home, all three admitted that finding another mum who was going through a similar journey brought so much comfort and support.
Here Kerry, Kathryn and Nicola share more about their children’s diagnoses and how meeting on the ward was the silver lining during an incredibly difficult time. Each mum shares some advice for others starting out on their own journey and for the day that’s in it, they tell us about their plans for Mother’s Day.
KERRY AND ZAC’S STORY
Kerry’s son Zac (9) was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in May 2025 after experiencing severe nerve pain in his lower back which travelled down into his right leg. Almost immediately, Zac was scheduled for surgery to have a central line fitted and a series of biopsies and lumbar punctures followed. The day after receiving his diagnosis, he began seven months of intense chemotherapy, which, due to the aggressive nature of his cancer, was all administered as an inpatient.
While Kerry and her husband Oran split their time at the hospital with Zac, family stepped in to look after Zac’s two younger brothers and then in August, Kerry gave birth to their fourth son, Charlie. Admittedly, Kerry is still not sure that the family has fully processed the events of the last year, but now that Zac has finished treatment and is back at school they are all enjoying quality time together and a little bit of normality again with their newest addition.
Friendship in the hardest of times
Speaking about the special bond between herself, Kathryn and Nicola, Kerry says:
“Being on the CHU ward is such a strange position to find yourself in. I was so fearful about what lay ahead for Zac, and we had to get our heads around lots of new medication and so much medical terminology. So, when I met Kathryn and Nicola, just knowing that they understood what we were going through meant so much. A reassuring smile, chats in the kitchen as we made a cuppa, it was honestly like therapy. They just got it. I’m so grateful to have met the girls and I really do admire them and their little ones. Although we haven’t been able to meet up yet as we’re trying to keep everyone safe, we still all keep in touch and we definitely will meet up in the future.”
Advice for other mums
Now that Zac has finished treatment, Kerry has some advice for other mums facing a similar journey-
“As mums we like to plan ahead and organise everyone and everything, and when your child gets a cancer diagnosis, you go into survival mode. Your child looks to you for reassurance, and you have to be their rock, their safe space. But just take one day at a time, and sometimes even one hour at a time. Things can change so quickly during treatment, so I would set myself little expectations- especially when it came to getting home from the ward. Just ride the wave, better days will come and you will cherish every little moment.”
Looking forward to Mother’s Day
“While in hospital, we used to talk about all the things we wanted to do. As a family, we missed all of last summer, so we have booked a hotel stay with a group of friends this weekend. The kids can swim until their hearts are content, and we can all catch up, watch the rugby and enjoy being cooked for. Making memories as a family is all I can ask for this Mother’s Day.”
KATHRYN AND TOMMY’S STORY
Tommy was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in May 2025, aged five. He had been experiencing tiredness and a few other unexplained symptoms which the GPs put down to tonsillitis, but mum Kathryn knew there was something more going on, so she brought Tommy to A&E at the Ulster Hospital while her husband Lee stayed home with their other son, Ben. It was there that she was given the news that Tommy had Leukaemia. He was blue lighted to the Royal where they met his Consultant, Bethany. Tommy initially spent four days in Paediatric Intensive Care, under the very close watch of two nurses. His lymph nodes had swollen so badly in his chest and were putting pressure on his heart. He was too ill for theatre and so had to be sedated to insert a main line into his femoral artery. After the four days in PICU, Tommy was moved to the ward in the Children’s Cancer Unit. Following a trip to theatre to have his port-a-cath fitted, Tommy began intense chemotherapy- initially as an in-patient, then home for a week and back in again for several weeks. The induction treatment hit him hard and he was very ill, losing all mobility to walk for about six weeks, but in Kathryn’s words-
“He has faced this journey with unbelievable strength and bravery and has taken everything in his stride. I’m so incredibly proud of him.”
Tommy has recently finished Delayed Intensification and is currently on a break from treatment, giving his body a chance to recover, before he starts Maintenance treatment.
Friendship: A silver lining during the hardest time
“I will never forget meeting Kerry and Nicola. I had followed Kerry on Instagram for a while and had seen a post she’d shared about her son Zac’s cancer diagnosis just two weeks before Tommy was diagnosed- little did I think we’d be in the same place. I made contact with Kerry when Tommy was in PICU, and it turned out we were moved to the same room that Zac had first been in. Zac and Kerry were still on the ward, so we arranged to meet for a chat. Kerry knocked on our room, and we just immediately gave each other a huge hug. That hug was so comforting. We sat chatting for a while until a nurse came in and told us off! Oh, how we laughed, we felt like schoolgirls being told off by the teacher! We had an instant bond and understanding and Kerry gave me some really good, practical advice.
“I bumped into Nicola around the same time. I was taking Tommy to the bathroom one day and she had baby Sophia in her arms. We were still so early in our journey too, so I knew exactly what she was feeling. I reached out to Nicola and we clicked immediately, and have kept a strong bond since. I know Nicola is always there, just as she knows I’m right there for her too.
“There’s something so good about talking to another mummy who ‘gets it’. There’s no hiding emotions, no cover ups, just complete understanding. It’s something that no matter how much somebody on the outside world offers support, it’s just not the same. Nobody on the outside can fully understand what this is like. Which is why I am so grateful for my friendship with Kerry and Nicola.”
The advice from a mum who’s been there
As Tommy gets ready to start Maintenance and hopefully a lot less time spent in hospital, Kathryn shares her advice-
“Take each day as it comes. Try not to go down a rabbit hole on social media, searching for answers. As a mummy, your instinct is to try and make your child better again, but your control is completely taken away from you when your child is diagnosed with cancer. The hardest thing as a mummy, is to put your entire trust in a complete stranger (Consultant) in the hope they can save the most important and precious thing in your world, your child. Go easy on yourself and allow all the emotions. And most importantly, never blame yourself!”
Special plans for Mother’s Day
“Tommy has finished Delayed Intensification and is currently on a break from treatment, giving his body a chance to recover. All being well, we will be spending a few nights at the Angel Wishes house, Heir Lan Ben House on Mother’s Day weekend. It will be a chance to escape and to try and forget reality for a couple of days. I don’t care where I am, just as long as I have Tommy and his brother Ben with me, that’s all that matters. When something like this happens, you certainly learn what truly matters in life.”
NICOLA AND SOPHIA’S STORY
Sophia was diagnosed with Acute Myloid Leukaemia on 17th June last year, aged just 16 months. She’d had had persistent colds for a few months and was very pale. It was when Sophia became very clingy and lethargic that Nicola and her husband James brought her to see their local GP who assumed it was an infection and gave her a course of antibiotics. The medication had no effect and soon, Sophia developed a high temperature and a rash. Nicola brought her to A&E and within a few hours, the family were given the news that Sophia had Leukaemia. Everything moved very quickly at this point- Sophia went down to theatre and had a bone marrow aspiration, biopsies and blood and platelet transfusions.
Within a few days Sophia was given an official diagnosis of Acute Myloid Leukaemia and a treatment plan was put in place, involving four rounds of chemotherapy which were to be administered as an inpatient.
Sophia spent the next seven weeks on the ward. Although there were some very tough days and a lot of reactions to the medication, she faced her treatment with bravery and resilience, and she quickly built a special bond with the staff in the hospital. Nicola is forever thankful for the care that Sophia received from all the team in the Children’s Cancer Unit.
Sophia finished treatment and rang the bell earlier this year and Nicola describes life today:
“Sophia’ thriving now and it finally feels like we’re getting back to normal.”
Finding strength and a special friendship
“I met Kathryn a couple of days after Sophia started treatment. I was pacing the floor with her in my arms- she was very unsettled and I was upset. Kathryn came over and put her arm around me and said “I was there…the same place as you…just a few weeks ago”. We instantly bonded and Kathryn told me all about Tommy and his diagnosis and she was able to give me some great advice about the various support available during this time.
“I met Kerry a week later- Sophia and Zac were both going to theatre on the same day. We were upset and Kerry was so good- she told me that Sophia would be ok and we talked. When we discovered that we were both on the haematology ward, we just bonded from there. Zac and Sophia both had to have all their treatment in hospital and although they had different diagnoses, they seemed to follow a similar path during treatment. We talked a lot, then when Kerry went off to have little Charlie, we kept in touch by message and social media, keeping each other updated and checking in. The kids rang the bell three weeks apart which was amazing to see.
“The friendship with the two girls meant so much during such a difficult time. I’d be having a really bad day and then I’d see Kerry or Kathryn, and they just got it. With them, I was able to talk through my thoughts in a way that family or friends who weren’t there just couldn’t relate to it.
“Tommy is still going through his treatment, so we haven’t all been able to meet up but I’m still in touch with Kathryn every few days and we’ve been able to catch up during appointments in clinic when we’ve both been in. I hope we all get to meet soon.”
Nicola’s advice for others
“Know that you will be so well looked after. There will be staff coming and going all the time to help you, and there’s so much support available from the charities- it’s just incredible. It’s such a hard time, but you’ll have great support. That hospital will become like your family, and you get strength from them.”
A special day for a special mum
Nicola is looking forward to a relaxing weekend with husband James, five-year-old son Jayden and of course little Sophia. On Mother’s Day, they’re planning to visit both James and Nicola’s parents, and her dad will cook a nice meal for the whole family.
“It’s the simple things that mean the most these days.”
