We never planned to start a childhood cancer charity.
We were just a normal family, living a normal life.
Then our son, Maximus, was diagnosed with cancer.
In a moment, everything changed.
There was the fear. The uncertainty. The hospital appointments, scans, treatment plans and terminology we never imagined we’d need to understand.
But while our world had stopped, everything outside the hospital carried on.
The mortgage was still due. Someone still needed to put food on the table and the bills still needed paying.
And suddenly, there were new costs too.
Fuel. Parking. Food at the hospital. Time away from work. Lost income. All while trying to be where we needed to be most — beside our son.
That’s why Side By Side exists.
We discovered that childhood cancer doesn’t only affect a child’s health. It can turn an entire family’s life upside down.
For working families in particular, there can be a devastating gap. You can have jobs, a home and a regular income — and still find yourself financially vulnerable overnight.
Because when your child has cancer, going to work isn’t always possible. But the bills don’t stop because your child is sick.
We knew there needed to be something that recognised that reality. Not sympathy. Not gestures.
Practical, tangible financial help.
And so, The Side By Side Childhood Cancer Foundation was born.
We never planned to start a childhood cancer charity.
We were just a normal family, living a normal life.
Then our son, Maximus, was diagnosed with cancer.
In a moment, everything changed.
There was the fear. The uncertainty. The hospital appointments, scans, treatment plans and terminology we never imagined we’d need to understand.
But while our world had stopped, everything outside the hospital carried on.
The mortgage was still due. Someone still needed to put food on the table and the bills still needed paying.
And suddenly, there were new costs too.
Fuel. Parking. Food at the hospital. Time away from work. Lost income. All while trying to be where we needed to be most — beside our son.
That’s why Side By Side exists.
We discovered that childhood cancer doesn’t only affect a child’s health. It can turn an entire family’s life upside down.
For working families in particular, there can be a devastating gap. You can have jobs, a home and a regular income — and still find yourself financially vulnerable overnight.
Because when your child has cancer, going to work isn’t always possible. But the bills don’t stop because your child is sick.
We knew there needed to be something that recognised that reality. Not sympathy. Not gestures.
Practical, tangible financial help.
And so, The Side By Side Childhood Cancer Foundation was born.
