Meet Megan…

21-year-old Megan is one of our fabulous sibling volunteers, supporting brothers and sisters who are going through some of the hardest of times. Whether getting messy with paint, or being a listening ear, she helps bring fun and friendship to lots of our siblings because she knows, more than most, how so very important that support is . . . .

Shortly after Megan celebrated her 7^th birthday, her bright and bubbly little sister, Madi began screaming in pain and limping while walking. Doctors first thought that she had an irritable hip, but scans soon revealed the worst possible news; 2 year-old Madi was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a very rare type of tumour, and was given just months to live.  

Now, more than 10 years on, Megan clearly remembers the moment her little sister’s diagnosis came. She explains, “I could see the tears in my mum’s eyes, and I’d never seen my dad cry before. Me and my other sisters were all young, and Mum had to find a way of explaining what was happening to Madi in a way that we would understand.”

12 months after Madi’s initial diagnosis, the tumour was no longer showing on scans, and Megan and her family celebrated her being given the all-clear. But sadly, this was short-lived. 2 months later, the tumour reappeared, and was more aggressive than it had been before.

When it was first suggested that the family come to the hospice, Megan remembers the trepidation her parents initially felt, but also how quickly those fears melted away. The hospice was there, not just to care for Madi, but also Megan and her family: “Mum told me and my sisters we were going to a hotel so we could have a break and make memories with Madi. Nothing was ever too much trouble – we made music, dressed up as Minnie Mouse, painted, baked, and played hide and seek. Sometimes, we’d stay there at weekends – it really did become like our second home and a safe zone.”

When the most difficult time came to say goodbye to Madi, Megan knew that she could rely on support from the staff at the hospice: “We were all together as a family when Madi passed away. It wasn’t like being in a hospital; we had all the time we needed and felt loved and cared for by all the staff as we said goodbye. Without them, we wouldn’t have had the chance to make those last moments with Madi so special.”

“Afterwards, the counsellors were amazing. They enabled me to adjust to life without Madi and helped me to answer questions from the other children at school.”

Knowing how important having a strong support network is, Megan was inspired to others and began volunteering as a hospice volunteer to help other siblings in a similar situation: “Knowing that I had a support network at the hospice was amazing. I know and understand how many siblings feel, so being there to help others like me is so rewarding.”

Reflecting on what Dougie Mac’s Children’s Services meant to Megan, she explained: “It’s an amazing place – they welcomed my entire family. It isn’t a place for dying; it’s life-changing, a place for having fun and making memories.”