A devastated mother who spent her maternity leave battling advanced stage 3 cervical cancer has opened up about the gruelling reality of being forced to bring her newborn to her chemotherapy treatments.
A Mother's Struggle
Being told she had cancer was devastating, but doing it with a six-month-old baby made the nightmare almost unbearable for Hollie Pardue. The 33-year-old mother of three from Milton Keynes was forced to battle advanced stage 3 cervical cancer while simultaneously caring for her three young boys.
Her life became a frantic blur of rushing through hospital treatment to make it back in time for the school run, and trying to cook family dinners while constantly running to the toilet to vomit. The struggle to balance her life-saving treatment with childcare was so severe that Hollie sometimes had no choice but to bring her youngest son, Roman, who was only a few months old, to her sessions that lasted up to seven hours.
"My baby has spent more time in a cancer centre than he has anywhere else. It's heartbreaking," Hollie told the Daily Mirror. "I had two other children who need to be dropped and picked up from school, all while trying to make dinner for them too."
Balancing Treatment and Family
While Hollie fought for her life, her partner Ben, 33, worked gruelling shifts as a self-employed groundsworker from 7am until 5:30pm just to keep the family afloat. "My entire maternity was spent fighting cancer," says Hollie, who now works as a charity events coordinator.
Her health battle began shortly after giving birth to Roman via C-section in January 2024. Noticing abnormal bleeding, she knew in her gut something wasn't right and booked a smear test. In June 2024, doctors delivered the heartbreaking news. Originally told she had stage 1 cancer requiring a hysterectomy, subsequent CT and PET scans revealed it was stage 3 cervical cancer, requiring immediate chemotherapy and radiation.
The treatment tore the family apart. Because of the radioactive material used for the PET scans, Hollie was forced to stay overnight in hotels, unable to be with her children Frankie, now aged 12, Rafe, nine, and baby Roman, now two, leaving her racked with guilt. On the days she could be at home, Hollie handled the exhausting night feeds so Ben could sleep before his manual labour shifts, before heading back to the hospital herself.
Dependence on Others
She often had to depend on the kindness of friends to manage the school run if Hollie's mother wasn't able to make the hour-long journey to help the family. "I was sat having chemotherapy but I would be worrying about my children and feeling so guilty for my friends having to change dirty nappies and put my baby down for a nap when I should be focusing on my treatment," Hollie said.
Sometimes Roman had to come to the hospital with her, which left her feeling extremely guilty. She added: "I was never one of those lovely cosy mums who could take their baby to sensory classes or walks or soft play. Instead, he was in hospital with me in a cancer centre or with other people looking after him. The nurses were great with him, but it wasn't the same. I had to rely on other people being that mum to him that I couldn't be at that time."
A Systemic Gap
Reflecting on the ordeal, Hollie added: "The entire time, I was so focused on childcare when I should have just been focused on recovery. For my older boys, I had to make sure my radiotherapy was done in time for the school run, and on the long days where I had chemo, I would have to ask other mums if someone could pick up my children. At home, I'd be trying to cook chicken nuggets and chips after a six-hour infusion, resulting in me throwing up and running back and forth. It just wasn't right."
At breaking point, they managed to secure a nursery spot for Roman, costing a staggering £80 a day, money they simply didn't have. For most people, unless they are claiming specific benefits, UK childcare support is strictly tied to employment. As Hollie was too sick to work and Ben was self-employed, the family fell into a systemic gap. They were warned that applying for benefits would take months and that they might not be accepted.
"I think we forget about this bracket of parents with young families getting diagnosed with cancer," Hollie warns. "It's not just an older person's disease. We need more support for families in crisis."
Petition for Change
The immense strain turned Hollie and Ben into "passing ships," adding: "We almost had to relearn everything about each other after I finished my treatment." Now nearly a year into her remission, Hollie has launched a petition demanding better access to childcare for parents going through cancer. Starting her own business, Chemo and Co, which features a cancer journal for patients as well as event organising, Hollie is hoping to turn her experience into something that can help others.
"We need better, and I can't believe I have to start a petition to do it and get 100,000 signatures. But if I can change something and get better support for families facing cancer, it is worth it. I thought my situation was unique, but I have found so many other people who have been through the same struggles and wishing they had better access to childcare."
Article continues below. Sign Hollie's petition here. For help and support for yourself or someone you know battling cancer, you can visit the Macmillan Cancer Support page.
