Hi my name is Bronte Palmer.

It was just after my 21^st birthday, November 2015 that I was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer. I was treated in Bristol TYA and spent the following six months living in Bristol, either in the hospital or the ClicSargent home from home. I deferred from my final year at university which was really hard as all my friends were going to graduate without me, it was hard – having cancer and missing out being with my friends and university life. It was July 2016 when I had a break in chemo treatment that my mum said ‘why don’t we go away for a few days, sea, sun and sand, and a bit of gentle walking, lets get away from all of this for a while’.

 

Our Social Worker told us about Paul’s Place, which sounded ideal, so she phoned up and luckily there was a three day space, we could go there and then. It was just what we both needed. David and Pippa were so welcoming, our room was perfect and there were many facilities for us to use, like maps, special parking permits, a lounge and kitchen.

 

We were lucky, we had lots of sunshine, we paddled in the sea, and we made huge art works on the sand. We walked and walked, the beaches were perfect for flat gentle walking which is about all I could manage. One evening we took a pizza (David’s recommendation) onto Woolacombe beach and watched the sunset, one evening we were so exhausted we could only stumble along to the pub down the road (David’s recommendation) for dinner, and one afternoon we had afternoon tea, scones, cream and jam. For a few days we almost felt like normal people doing normal things, apart from the numerous pills, daily injections and temperature taking. We look back and know those few brief days lifted our spirits, re-energised us, and reminded us that even in the darkest days there is hope.

 

I have now returned to university to complete my final year. To be honest, I am finding it hard juggling uni work with treatment, some days are good, some days not so good, but I am determined to get there. I still have daily pills, regular chemo, but the injections have stopped, and without my Picc line in my arm, I can now get back to getting fit. My treatment finishes in March 2018 so I’ve a way to go yet.

Back in October 2016 me (Rochalla), my partner Craig and our one year old daughter Orla had the privilege of staying in the beautiful Garden Room at Paul’s Place and wow what a wonderful time we had!

 

This was the first opportunity that we have had to have a real family holiday and a break away from an intense few years of treatment.

 

Georgeham is so peaceful and quiet, wonderful views and the local store and pub were so friendly and welcoming. David and Pippa couldn’t have been more accommodating for us and so, so kind, not to mention the fun we had out at the Wildlife and Dinosaur Park and Watermouth Castle!

 

The break away couldn’t have come soon enough for us and really meant the world to us.

 

I was diagnosed with AML (Acute Myeloid Leukaemia) back in May 2014, I had four cycles of chemotherapy and enjoyed a full 14 months in remission. During this time we were fortunate enough to fall pregnant and had our wonderful Orla and life was looking bright again. Sadly when Orla was just 5 weeks old we had the news that my AML had relapsed, I have undergone two more cycles of chemotherapy, total body radiotherapy and a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor. Treatment is now finished and the break at Paul’s Place was something for us to focus on and look forward to. We are so grateful to have been given the opportunity that we just wouldn’t have managed ourselves.

 

Thanks again to David, Pippa and their lovely retreat and hopefully we’ll be back for another visit again sometime!

In January of 2016 our contact at Children’s Hospice South West in Bristol applied on our behalf for holiday at Paul’s Place, shortly after we knew we had been accepted.

So, in late June 2016 we set off for North Devon from our home in Somerset, myself Angela, my husband Keith and our lovely daughter Louise who at the time was 21.  Louise has a complex medical condition called Lennox Gastaut Syndrome which I’m sure you won’t have heard of (lots of medical professionals haven’t also!!).  It means Louise suffers numerous seizures with no prior warning, has severe learning difficulties, and is also on the autistic spectrum.  This is very difficult to live with, constantly being on red alert waiting for seizures to happen.  Whilst at Paul’s Place Louise was fortunate to have had a period of good health which meant we were able to go out and make the most of the lovely North Devon area.  We visited Bideford, Croyde, Woolacombe, Barnstaple, Westward Ho, Ilfracombe, The Big Sheep, The Milky Way, The Dinosaur Park, and I managed to bodyboard at Putsborough. David and Pippa are wonderful hosts and their dog Bobby is adorable.  It was so nice for the three of us to just spend time together, Keith works irregular shifts and doesn’t see as much of his daughter as he would like. It also gave us some time out from dealing with the various officialdom that caring for Louise entails.

Now, as Louise is 22, we are faced with an uncertain future.  College provision is likely to only last one more year.  As everywhere is facing cutbacks, we are unsure of what is around the corner.  No doubt there will be more appointments, reviews, disagreements to contend with.  For now, we take one day at a time, make the most of the times Louise is well (when she is, she has a wicked sense of humour and an infectious giggle that melts anyone’s heart), and cope with the days when she is unwell.  We are so grateful to David and Pippa (and Bobby) for allowing us to share their lovely home, and a great big thank you to Paul’s Fund for financing this lovely holiday.

 

Many thanks,

 

Angela, Keith and Louise Farrow.

In January 2015 one of the worst things happened to us as a family. We lost our beautiful daughter Jess.

 

Jess was 18 and had been battling cancer for over 18 months when she died suddenly from side effects of her transplant therapy.  As with all families we needed time together to come to terms with what had happened and the sudden manner in which our life had been left void.

 

As a family we had been supported so very well by people from across the NHS and charities that support young people with cancer.  Susie, the CLIC sargent social worker who had supported Jess and her brothers advised us that we needed some time away as a family and she suggested some time away at Paul’s Place.  As a family who lived in the south west we hadn’t heard of the place, but we were given the leaflets and web address and advised to look at the option of some time away.  Susie applied to the charity for funding for us to able to take a break in May 2016.

 

As a family we discussed the opportunity to get away for a while and decided it was the thing to do.  We are a family that enjoys the beach and the sea, the boys both surf, as did Julie and I, so having explored the website and the nearby beaches on line we embarked on some time away.

 

David and Pippa were there to welcome us into their home and to a little piece of Devon that we didn’t know overly well. With their own personal story they understood how we would be feeling.  Georgham is a beautiful village, tucked away from the rush of daily life and Pauls Place is a little haven away from it all too.  We were made so very welcome and the facilities allowed us to relax without feeling like we were intruding at all.

 

Fish and chip take away brought back to the house is something you wouldn’t usually expect to able to do, but it was no issue to David and Pippa.  We were able to eat in the local pub, walk around the village, get to the beach in all weathers and enjoy some valued time as a reduced family.  We loved seeing David’s photography from the local area and even purchased a photo to bring away with us.  The break gave us time to reflect and re-evaluate what was important to us as a family, and we even went back a second time to spend time away as just adults without the boys!

 

A huge thank you for being there for families that need that time and space to get themselves back together in difficult times.

 

Dave & Julie Thomas

We had such a lovely time at Paul’s Place in the Garden Room cottage. Following our very quickly organised wedding having a nice time to relax in the beautiful North Devon area was great.

David and Pippa were extremely accommodating and couldn’t do enough to help us. We visited many attractions during our stay including the Big Sheep which was great and perfect for our little girl.

I am currently (Feb 2017) waiting for a Trial for immunotherapy to start in Birmingham which will give me a better chance of survival as chemotherapy is no longer having the desired effect however, we do hope to return this year for another family holiday.

Our son John sadly died on millennium eve 13 years ago. John was 32 years old and he his partner would have loved to stay at The Old Bakery, if it was available back then. He fought Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia but finally succumbed at The Christie Hospital Manchester. The two of them would have loved the breakfast and everything about Pauls Place. Pippa & David are amazing in every respect, quite inspirational. Thank you for everything.

Charlie is a bit of a celebrity back home in Oldham. In March, he was told he had only hours to live after having emergency surgery on tumours that had spread to a kidney and a lung. But doctors at The Christie Hospital, Manchester, decided to try him on a new drug which has only just become available. He made an amazing recovery and in August he married his fiancée Louise and stayed at Paul’s Place for their honeymoon. The stay was arranged by CLIC Sargent social worker Matt. Writing in the visitors book Louise said “Thank you so much for a fantastic week. You made us feel very welcome..we will never forget you!”

Anna was deeply affected by the loss of her brother David who died suddenly and inexplicably in 2011. Having used up her allotted allowance of free counselling and still needing support, she found Paul’s Fund on the internet and stayed for a few days with her partner. Afterwards she wrote “I just wanted to leave a note to express our gratitude and support of Paul’s Place….Not only has it let me have some time to relax, but also it has inspired me (and my family) to see that there is hope, light and opportunity out of the darkness and pain that death brings. The home you share with strangers is pretty powerful, potent healing stuff.

Alanna’s partner Darren has been diagnosed with a life limiting condition which means he is unlikely to reach the age of 40. With several young children, Alanna was desperate for them all to have a family holiday whilst Darren was still fit enough to enjoy it but lacked the means. She found the Paul’s Fund web site just by searching on-line, applied and was given a grant to stay at Paul’s Place this summer. The day after getting back from their holiday, Alanna wrote: “Thank you for such a wonderful holiday, it seems a feeble expression when you realise what you have done for us. I want you to know how much we enjoyed staying at Paul`s Place. The surroundings are absolutely beautiful, stunning scenery, peaceful, lovely beaches, an absolute million miles from where we live in comparison. What really made it special for us is the fact that somebody else cared enough to make this experience happen for our family. We are facing difficult circumstances but being away and having had some fun times in some brilliant places, it has really given us a different perspective on our situation. We feel refreshed, spoiled and inspired to help others in similar situations.