A father has spoken out about his teenage daughter’s terrible death, which occurred just six weeks after she posed for her school prom photo.
Connie Holmes, a 14-year-old from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer.
After his daughter Connie died, Tony stated he couldn’t ‘begin to convey’ his pain.
One day, Connie began to feel pain in her left side of her body and eventually lost the ability to use her hand.
Her GP referred her to Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), where she was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, an aggressive and uncommon cancer that affects the bones and soft tissues around them.
Tony, a retired social worker, said: ‘You can’t begin to describe the grief when a child dies. It’s a haze and blur. You just stumble through from one day to the next.
‘To have nice things to look back on is so important – special moments, special memories, that keep them alive in your heart.’
When Connie was referred to the LGI, an MRI located a significant ‘swelling’ in her neck.
‘We were initially told that it was likely to be benign, but that she’d need to have surgery immediately and would be on the operating table for at least 12 hours,’ Tony, 59, remembered.
‘Connie just went white with fear. After that her oncologist came to see us and told us, as calmly and gently as possible, that it was unlikely to be benign.’
The surgery confirmed Connie’s tumour was malignant. She was then rushed into several rounds of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Connie was then referred to Make-A-Wish, which facilitated a trip to Paris with her dad, mum Judith, and little brother Harvey in October 2014. Tragically, Connie relapsed not much later and died in August 2015.
Tony said: ‘Connie always loved musicals, and Les Misérables was her favourite. She just wanted to visit Paris and specifically to have dinner in the Eiffel Tower.
‘The voluntary Wish Makers that came to see Connie were great. She found it hard to choose a wish, but they made her believe that she deserved to have any wish she wanted.
‘After her death, the memory of that trip brought us so much comfort. Having the pictures to look back on – these things can be a light in the darkest days.
‘Her brother Harvey chose to make a short animation of that trip in the bereavement group he attended.
‘Even years later, the memories of that time help keep her a part of our family and alive in our minds, our memories, and our hearts.’
Tony is planning to run the Great North Run this autumn to raise money for Make-A-Wish.
He will be running alongside Connie’s brother Harvey and her childhood friend David, as well as David’s father Ian.
‘Whether you’re donating, fundraising or volunteering for Make-A-Wish UK, to know that you’re helping a critically ill child make special memories with their family is a privilege,’ Tony added.
Volunteers week is from June 1 to June 7 and Make-A-Wish is currently appealing for volunteers to help children like Connie.
Emma Vizor, Volunteer Engagement Lead at Make-A-Wish UK, said: ‘Our vision is a world in which every critically child, like Connie, has their wish come true.
‘But, with over 60,000 UK children eligible for a wish, we don’t currently have enough volunteers to make that vision a reality.
‘Right now, donating your time has just as powerful an impact on achieving our vision as donations and fundraising.
‘As Tony’s story shows, the power of a wish brings light and joy to children and their loved ones, leaving a profound and lasting impact on all their lives.