A WOMAN from Altrincham received a special trip to Bath from charity, Willow, after being diagnosed with leukaemia.

Abigail Page, aged 33 loved travelling the world before her illness.

But soon after she was diagnosed, she found it increasingly difficult to even think about the immediate future such as bills, the house and her job.

The active, independent young woman said she “went from being the most reliable person to suddenly being the most reliant”.

After a gruelling year of hospital appointments and treatment, Abigail and her partner, Mark, were treated to a trip to historic Bath in order to mark the start of a new beginning together.

The recent trip was made possible by Willow - the only national charity working with seriously ill young adults aged 16 to 40 to fulfil uplifting and unforgettable special days.

Abigail said: “I was hospitalised for four months, I went from being the main wage earner to being wholly reliant on my partner. I was so unwell that I wasn't even allowed physical contact for a number of months so even something as simple as a hug was off the cards because of the risk of infection.

“Even after being discharged from the hospital, due to on-going treatment, I was constantly worrying if and when I'd be re-admitted into hospital. Any plans we did have, had to be cancelled. I literally felt I had nothing to look forward to as each day was a monotonous repeat of the previous one.”

Both the physical and mental side effects of living with leukaemia was not only a strain on Abigail but also on those around her, including Mark.

The stress that the disease brought to her and Mark’s life was just one of the reasons why Abigail applied for a Willow Special Day.

Abigail said “I wanted to 'treat' my boyfriend to a day free from work or hospital commitments. For once I didn’t want to feel like a burden. The stress of organising everything was taken away from us - we were free to just enjoy the day.

“Even planning what we wanted to do on the day gave us a topic of conversation other than my condition or treatment. But the biggest thing I learnt from this whole experience is how much my friends and family just want to help me. I underestimated how much they appreciated seeing me look forward to my special day. I think I’ll now feel better about accepting their help. Thank you Willow."

Willow has provided more than 12,000 special days for young adults diagnosed with a life-threatening condition such as cancer, motor neurone disease, cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s disease.

For more information about Willow visit www.willowfoundation.org.uk or telephone 01707 259777.