Claire's story

In 2020, my husband Stewart and the boys', dad was diagnosed with a brain tumour. We were told he had a prognosis of 12 months to live. For two years, our world revolved around fighting the cancer, and there was little support for me or our sons. Our eldest, Josh, was only six when Stewart was diagnosed, and for a third of his life, he lived with a death sentence hanging over us. I often say that I took a deep breath for the first time when we first visited Thames Hospice.

The Hospice "swooped in" and wrapped their collective arms around all of us, providing the support we truly needed. Stewart was able to access the Outpatient Unit, which gave him a weekly outing with people who knew him and could help him. The boys and I were given access to the Children and Families team. Stewart also stayed at the Hospice to help with his pain and to give the boys some respite from their home slowly turning into a hospital. The Hospice provided support for our whole family, and we will be forever grateful for the kindness and care they showed us. We now have a family goal to have adventures whenever we can, and taking part in Sun Thames Hospice's Sunflower Walk and Firewalk is our way of giving back and chalking up another wild and wacky challenge. 

The biscuit challenge
The three of us first took on the Sunflower Walk in 2023, which is where our famous biscuit strategy came into play! Josh was just nine so to keep him and his brothers going during the 13-mile walk - for every mile we completed, we all ate a biscuit. It became quite the conversation topic - what kind of biscuit would we pick? Could we have two when we got into double digits? Which biscuit gave us the most energy? It’s a bit of fun that keeps the boys motivated and makes the whole event feel like a game.

We're completing the 13 mile walk again this year, Josh who is now 11, and his brothers 15 and 17, as upped the ante. He's bringing his own snack bag, so he'll be in control of his biscuits and is already planning the selection he's going to take with him. He's also decided that he'll have a biscuit for every kilometre because last time he needed a few piggybacks! The walk is also a great day out - the route takes you along the river and past the castle, and there are plenty of marshals to cheer us on and hand out water.

The best part for us

For Josh, the best part is the access to biscuits without much constraint. For me and my other sons, it's feeling like we're doing a little bit to help the people and the place that did so much for us when we needed it the most.

To anyone thinking of signing up, I say "do it!" Life is not guaranteed, and you don't know when you might need the Hospice's support. This is one small way to make sure it's there for you or someone you love. Plus, you get to eat biscuits all day, and nobody can tell you off. You'll definitely burn enough calories!

Show your support for Claire and the boys by sponsoring them here!