‘It’s just hard knowing you’re going to leave’
Charlie Norman wants to create memories with her four children(Image: Charlie Norman)
A Hull mum is determined to give her four children a holiday to remember as she battles terminal cancer. Single mum Charlie Norman is only 33, but was diagnosed with cervical cancer while pregnant with her youngest child and aspires to take her four children to Disneyland Paris to make memories while she still can.
Charlie was pregnant with her youngest daughter Amyra when she received the shocking diagnosis. She was losing blood and panicked, thinking she may be losing the baby. But instead, Charlie was diagnosed with Stage three cervical cancer, and her daughter Amyra was delivered by emergency caesarean section. After the birth of her baby at 32 weeks, Charlie began chemotherapy and radiotherapy to tackle the cancer.
Six months later, she went back for a check up and was told that telescopic signs of cancer had been found again. Charlie said: “Because it’s recurring cancer, all they can do is shrink it. That was two days after my mum passed away.” The immunotherapy leaves her susceptible to infections and she has to take care as the slightest cold could make her seriously ill.
But now Charlie is looking to make memories with her kids, Leeroy 10, Amna, five, Amina, three, and Amyra, one. She said: “I get a lot of pain. It’s in my lymph nodes this time. It’s down my throat and between my lungs and down my pelvis and round my spine. I’m on a lot of medication. I’m lucky I’ve still got my sister and my three brothers. I’m hoping I get to make all these memories with my kids. When it does happen, I want them to remember me. My youngest is only 16 months. It’s just hard knowing you’re going to leave.”
She is determined to see her kids’ faces when she takes them to Disneyland, but the trip will cost in the thousands and her friends have set up a Go Fund Me page to help cover the costs.
There will also be a fundraising day at The Bowery Pub on Princes Avenue on August 2, and everyone is welcome to attend. The fundraising page was set up by Charlies friend, Marnie, who wrote: “Charlies dream is to take the kids to Disneyland while they have this precious time together. I’m trying to raise £5000 to make this happen and give them all memories that’ll last forever.
“On Saturday 2nd August, we’re doing a charity day at The Bowery Pub on Princes Ave in Hull, with all the money raised going towards this. Charlie has also made the brave decision to shave all of her hair off before treatment takes the choice away from her. Charlie’s going to do this on her fundraising day.
“The fundraising goal is £5000 which I hope will cover the cost of making this dream come true for Charlie. If I’m lucky enough to raise more than the goal any additional money will go towards helping Charlie and her family make even more memories and towards any extra costs she might face at this awful time.
“If you can spare anything at all, no matter how big or small Charlie and her family would be so grateful. Every donation will get us one step closer to making Charlie’s dream come true. Even if you can’t donate please share this go fund me to everyone you know. Also everyone is welcome to come along to the fundraising day and hopefully we can raise as much money as possible for Charlie and the kids.”
Donate to the page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-make-precious-memories-for-a-mum-with-terminal-cancer
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