Memory Wall

Just a little about Sam (  Was born on 13th Jan 1994 ) First of all he was never one to complain normally but in July 2012 ( Sam was 18 years old )  he started complaining of a bad headache and could not get rid of it.

We took him to the doctors who gave him more pain relief which did not help, he got upset and was clearly in pain so we went back to the doctors where Sam asked the Doctor if he could go to the hospital so we drove straight to the Royal Hospital in Derby with a note from the Doctor.

Sam had a scan where they found something which didn’t look right so they sedated him and transferred him to the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham where they did more tests. To relieve the pain Sam was fitted with a shunt.

We were called by the hospital to receive Sam’s biopsy results on 13th July 2012 ( FRIDAY ) where we got the devastating news that they had found a grade 4 GBM.

We took Sam From Little Eaton in Derby to the Queens Med in Notts every  Monday To Friday for six weeks for Radiotherapy alongside Chemotherapy tablets. We cared for Sam at home where we had a special bed and all sorts of equipment to make him as comfortable as possible.

The Tumour shrunk a little after this treatment, which we celebrated with a family meal and a few beers but worsened and sadly on 27th of April 2013 Sam passed away. (He was only 19 years old ).

Sam was a really friendly outgoing lad with loads of friends, he loved fishing, animals and mountain biking, anything to do with the outdoors. We loved going to Spain to visit my sister with his older brother Joe ( Joe was 21 when Sam passed ) who helped look after him when he was ill.

Sam was an apprentice engineer in his second year at Rolls Royce in Derby where he made many more friends. He had a motorbike, a car and had money in the bank which was amazing for someone of his age.

This is a poem that I wrote as a tribute to Sam which was read out at his funeral.

                                                       Sam Our Super Hero

“I ain’t afraid of no tumour,”

That was Sam’s kind of humour.

You were amazing and entertaining every passing day

Yet still hid your pain from us in your own special way.

You made the world a better place the short time you were in it

You were so enthusiastic about every single minute.

You lit up every room you entered with your smile and cheeky charm

You never wished anybody to come to any harm.

You helped us through your illness because you were so strong

You’ve been taken away so early and its so very very wrong.

You took everything in your stride

And somehow pain you managed to hide.

You were unique in every way

You enjoyed every single day.

To have you taken away so young  is so very very sad

We feel so very privileged to have been your Mum and Dad.