A Holiday Of A Lifetime

It was whilst sailing in the Fastnet Race of 2009 that Kay Stibbs worried things were ‘not quite right’. On her return home she was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer and found herself being whisked off for immediate chemotherapy, followed by surgery, more chemotherapy, then radiotherapy. Finally a year after it had all begun she had another CT scan which gave her the all clear.

It was at this point that Kay and her family were nominated for a Sail 4 Cancer respite holiday. The family decided on a summer activity holiday in Greece with Neilson Holidays.

Kay describes the journey:

“My family felt totally shell shocked after watching me undergo all the treatment. Stepping off the treadmill of cancer treatment, whilst a significant milestone in the journey, can also be a difficult and vulnerable time. You have to take stock of everything that’s happened to you and how your view of life has changed. You have to somehow pick up the pieces again and go back to work.  You have these awkward moments with colleagues and acquaintances who simply don’t know what to say to you. It was the perfect timing for a holiday of a lifetime. It was just what we needed to pull us all together and try to put some distance between us and the dreaded ‘C’. This holiday was a pivotal moment for us. It was the point where we started to look forward again, with renewed hope and confidence.”