Meet Natasha and Andy and their three children, Nikolas, Iliana and Gabriella.
Iliana has an underlying condition that affects many organs and systems but primarily the skin, nervous system and eyes. For her first seven years she had no problems, but then came the moment everything changed. Iliana was diagnosed with an optic nerve glioma in October 2021 and the family were told she needed chemotherapy. It was while she was undergoing treatment that Iliana was referred to us at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice.
Natasha said of the moment Iliana was diagnosed:
“My world had fallen apart. I was scared and devastated.”
During the family’s time at The Ark they have participated in our extensive Family Activities, accessed our specialist Play Team and attended family days – all when Iliana was having a challenging time with her chemotherapy treatment.
Natasha says that Noah’s Ark’s support:
“brought us back to where we were pre-treatment”.
The family have a special bond with their Family Link Worker, Jo. Knowing just how much Iliana loved Ed Sheeran, Jo got to work and, a few weeks later, the family were off to see Ed Sheeran live in concert! They had an incredible night together.
Natasha said:
“Through this journey of incredibly sad and dark times, seeing Ed Sheeran was one of the best days of our lives. It will be a life-long memory for us.”
Iliana has had many rounds of chemotherapy and is now at monitoring stage. Iliana is well, attending school and even though they do not know what the future holds, the family are making the most of every day. The family have the certainty of knowing we will be there to support them in the times ahead.
It costs around £18,000 a day for us to be there for those who need us most, with 90% of our funding from voluntary donations. With the support from our community, we can keep being there for children like Iliana and her family.