07/12/2025
“Christmas is different now without Isabel and it will never be the same again.”
For parents Amanda and Paul, Claire House Children’s Hospice allowed their 19 year old daughter Isabel to just be herself, while providing clinical and emotional support. This Christmas, the family are sharing their story and explaining how Claire House was there for them and Isabel in her final months.
“Izzy loved Christmas, she wanted to put the tree up, and we couldn't get any decorations down unless she was home,” shares Isabel’s dad Paul.
“Izzy was a happy, healthy girl,” says Isabel’s mum Amanda. “She had severe dyslexia, but she didn’t let that hold her back.
“During her first year at the University of Liverpool, she was thrilled to land a role at Camp America for the summer.
“Before her trip, she began to experience pain and swelling in her jaw. The GP felt it was probably an infected wisdom tooth, needing a course of antibiotics.
“We all expected the pain to ease, but after arriving in the US it just kept getting worse.”
Isabel’s camp leader took her to get checked out and during the scans they found a tumour.
“We found out Izzy had cancer over a phone call,” shares Amanda.
“All you want to do is to comfort your child. But it was a couple of days until we could physically get to be with her again. It was traumatic.”
A full scan revealed cancer in Isabel’s kidney, liver, adrenal glands, spine and pelvis. It was already stage 4 and incurable.
“Cancer brings helplessness,” says Amanda. “You're absolutely at the mercy of it.
“You're at your lowest point,” shares Paul.
A family friend put in a referral to Claire House Children’s Hospice for support for Isabel and the family.
“As soon as the team from Claire House arrived at our house, it was like friends had arrived and could share the burden with us,” says Amanda.
“When I first met Izzy, she just blew me away,” says Palliative Care Nurse Specialist, Laura. “She was so humble and really didn’t want to cause a fuss.
“Izzy just wanted to live her life. And we wanted to make sure she could as much as possible.”
Laura and the team at Claire House were able to support Isabel with symptom management and help with any concerns Amanda or Paul had.
“Laura explained how they aren’t just there for seriously ill children, they support young adults up to the age of 25.
“Izzy was only 19, still only on the cusp of adulthood.
“Laura talked to us about the specialist care and pain management they could offer Izzy and how she could try hydrotherapy and complementary therapies at the Claire House site in West Derby, which she absolutely loved and found so beneficial for her pain tolerance during those last few months.
“As a parent, you want to make sure your children are happy and healthy,” says Amanda. “And when you have a cancer diagnosis, all the parenting skills you've built up over the years go out the window because you're no longer in control.
“And to have Claire House who could explain what we needed, and support and guide us was not just important to Isabel but important to us as a family.”
“The team at Claire House didn’t just see a diagnosis, they truly got to know Izzy,” shares Paul.
“Izzy really loved drama. After she told Laura and the team that she loved Les Miserables, but didn’t think she would be well enough to go to the show, they arranged for the cast to meet Izzy in the run up to Christmas.
“Izzy was also invited as a guest to a performance of the show at the Liverpool Empire,” shares Amanda.
“Izzy was very ill at the time, so we didn’t know whether she would be able to go, but Claire House made it possible with targeted symptom relief and support. It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and a dream come true for Izzy.”
Izzy enjoyed her last Christmas with her family and made some special lasting memories.
“Sadly, Izzy deteriorated quickly in the last few weeks,” shares Amanda.
“When the time came, she wanted us there with her, but due to Covid restrictions we couldn’t have done that in hospital.
“Claire House made it possible for us to be together. They provided palliative care that allowed Izzy to stay at home in her own bed, and we were with her when she died.
“We couldn’t have had that without Claire House and the end-of-life care they provided.”
Reflecting on what Christmas means to them now, Amanda said: “Christmas is different now without Isabel and it will never be the same again.
“There will always be an empty seat at our table and although she's not there, she is always in our hearts.
“Isabel lived her whole life with a prescience; like she knew she had to live it to the fullest and make the most of every opportunity she could.”
“We talk about Isabel all the time and she will still always be part of our family, at Christmas and all year.”
