Help The Thawley’s create some smiles!
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As most of you are already aware Steve Thawley, our friend and one of our junior football team coaches for the Hoyland Common Falcons and his wife Sarah Thawley (nee Webster), have been through one of the toughest 12 months anyone could imagine following both their cancer diagnoses last year. All this happened during the Covid pandemic and whilst trying to raise a young family, including AJ who was born only weeks before Sarah’s own diagnosis. Some of you may already know Sarah either through the Falcons or from her time working at Hoyland Common Primary School just prior to her maternity leave.
To show our continued support for Steve and Sarah, we have decided to organise a fundraiser to give them the chance to treat themselves and their family in whichever way they choose.
The fundraiser will be in the form of a sponsored half marathon, starting at the Elsecar Park bandstand to Manvers lake and back again, to be held 11th July 2021 (restrictions permitting).
Any donations would be greatly appreciated in helping our effort to bring a bit of light to this brave family.
After some discussions with Steve and Sarah, they have written the following few words about their journey over the last 12 months. This is their story.
Thank you.
On March 20th just three days before the lockdown began Sarah & Steve welcomed their baby boy Arthur. Because of Covid his first weeks were completely separate from family and friends.
This all changed when Arthur was 8 weeks old. On 16th May 2020 Sarah was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer at Barnsley hospital. Because of the lockdown restrictions she had to be given this news alone in hospital.
Because of how poorly Sarah was her immediate family formed a support bubble to provide support for Arthur and the rest of the kids.
The following month on June 8th Sarah went to Weston Park hospital for blood tests in preparation for her first chemotherapy treatment later that week. However, she was hospitalised that same day with hypercalcemia.
She received her first chemotherapy treatment while in hospital but was very poorly and on Thursday 11th June the hospital contacted Steve to come in as soon as possible. Sarah had been moved to a private room and it was there that we were told that she had only weeks left to live.
Everyone was devastated but were determined to bring Sarah home and on Saturday 13th June she came home. The living room was organised with a bed so that she could come home and be looked after and be surrounded by her family.
The next day after loads of planning and rushing around we had a blessing in our back garden and on Wednesday 17th June the local vicar came to our home and made the wedding official after being granted special permission for the marriage to take place at home.
Three weeks later Sarah was still fighting and despite the awful prognosis by the hospital she appeared to be improving. Three weeks later the doctors said she had improved enough for her treatment to continue. Sarah finished her treatment in October and her CT scan showed remarkable response to treatment.
Over the next few weeks that followed everyone tried to get back to as much normality as possible with the restrictions in place, with Sarah going into hospital every 3 weeks for immunotherapy. However it was around this time that Steve began experiencing problems swallowing food.
It was put down to anxiety at first, with everything that had happened this year it was bound to have affected him. However, it kept getting worse and after a visit to the GP Steve was fast tracked for an endoscopy.
Again, because of Covid restrictions Steve had to go in for the procedure on his own. It was after the endoscopy had been done that the doctor told him he was 99% sure it was cancerous.
It was unbelievable. After everything that had happened already this year it seemed like impossible news. But on 11th December it was confirmed to be stage 4 gastric cancer.
The family all rallied around again, Steve had to go into hospital a few days before Christmas in order to have a stent fitted so that he could eat properly. Thankfully he was home in time for Christmas but he was very poorly and couldn’t enjoy it properly.
After the new year Steve began his treatment with his first chemotherapy session. He has to have 6 sessions with the last one being at the end of April 2021.
We would welcome any support whether it’s through a donation, sharing this story or joining us later in the pub to toast are aching limbs!
I would appreciate if anyone who has already expressed an interest in taking part on the day, please contact me on this email address [email redacted] as we have limited numbers available x
To show our continued support for Steve and Sarah, we have decided to organise a fundraiser to give them the chance to treat themselves and their family in whichever way they choose.
The fundraiser will be in the form of a sponsored half marathon, starting at the Elsecar Park bandstand to Manvers lake and back again, to be held 11th July 2021 (restrictions permitting).
Any donations would be greatly appreciated in helping our effort to bring a bit of light to this brave family.
After some discussions with Steve and Sarah, they have written the following few words about their journey over the last 12 months. This is their story.
Thank you.
On March 20th just three days before the lockdown began Sarah & Steve welcomed their baby boy Arthur. Because of Covid his first weeks were completely separate from family and friends.
This all changed when Arthur was 8 weeks old. On 16th May 2020 Sarah was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer at Barnsley hospital. Because of the lockdown restrictions she had to be given this news alone in hospital.
Because of how poorly Sarah was her immediate family formed a support bubble to provide support for Arthur and the rest of the kids.
The following month on June 8th Sarah went to Weston Park hospital for blood tests in preparation for her first chemotherapy treatment later that week. However, she was hospitalised that same day with hypercalcemia.
She received her first chemotherapy treatment while in hospital but was very poorly and on Thursday 11th June the hospital contacted Steve to come in as soon as possible. Sarah had been moved to a private room and it was there that we were told that she had only weeks left to live.
Everyone was devastated but were determined to bring Sarah home and on Saturday 13th June she came home. The living room was organised with a bed so that she could come home and be looked after and be surrounded by her family.
The next day after loads of planning and rushing around we had a blessing in our back garden and on Wednesday 17th June the local vicar came to our home and made the wedding official after being granted special permission for the marriage to take place at home.
Three weeks later Sarah was still fighting and despite the awful prognosis by the hospital she appeared to be improving. Three weeks later the doctors said she had improved enough for her treatment to continue. Sarah finished her treatment in October and her CT scan showed remarkable response to treatment.
Over the next few weeks that followed everyone tried to get back to as much normality as possible with the restrictions in place, with Sarah going into hospital every 3 weeks for immunotherapy. However it was around this time that Steve began experiencing problems swallowing food.
It was put down to anxiety at first, with everything that had happened this year it was bound to have affected him. However, it kept getting worse and after a visit to the GP Steve was fast tracked for an endoscopy.
Again, because of Covid restrictions Steve had to go in for the procedure on his own. It was after the endoscopy had been done that the doctor told him he was 99% sure it was cancerous.
It was unbelievable. After everything that had happened already this year it seemed like impossible news. But on 11th December it was confirmed to be stage 4 gastric cancer.
The family all rallied around again, Steve had to go into hospital a few days before Christmas in order to have a stent fitted so that he could eat properly. Thankfully he was home in time for Christmas but he was very poorly and couldn’t enjoy it properly.
After the new year Steve began his treatment with his first chemotherapy session. He has to have 6 sessions with the last one being at the end of April 2021.
We would welcome any support whether it’s through a donation, sharing this story or joining us later in the pub to toast are aching limbs!
I would appreciate if anyone who has already expressed an interest in taking part on the day, please contact me on this email address [email redacted] as we have limited numbers available x
Organizer and beneficiary
Marina Whitwam
Organizer
England
Steve Thawley
Beneficiary
