Kate and Ian

When Kate was diagnosed with cervical cancer|, she had a million and one questions. Thankfully her Macmillan nurse Vikki was there to answer them, and is still there for her now.

‘You just don’t expect it to happen to someone who’s 30 years old, and life was really good at the time. Then cancer came in like a sledgehammer and ruined everything.’

As Kate felt her world falling apart, she had Vikki there to support her every step of the way.

And Vikki was still there for her when Kate took early retirement from the police force to go through treatment.

‘There were days when I wouldn’t even speak to someone until I picked my daughter up from school. So I did feel lonely, and isolated. But Vikki was always on the end of the phone. And if she didn’t know the answer to a question, she’d find out and ring me back. 

After her treatment ended, Kate was given the devastating news that her cancer had spread and was now incurable. ‘Even then, Vikki was still saying, ‘it’s fine, we can manage this, there are still so many things we can do to make you feel better’. Having her there made a massive difference.’

Now Kate, her husband Ian and daughter Grace are trying to stay positive and enjoy the time they’ve got together. In fact, Kate says she’s happier than ever. And that’s got a lot to do with Vikki. ‘I felt like Vikki was a friend rather than a nurse. I couldn’t have got through it without her, I really couldn’t.’

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