Brackley family travels Australia after terminal cancer diagnosis
In 2020, three years after Kate's breast cancer diagnosis, her husband Kriss was diagnosed with testicular cancer.She said: "Having gone through the first diagnosis with me, as soon as he thought something was out of place, he went and got it checked... a lot of men don't do that because of the embarrassment."Kriss was given the all clear, but in 2023 at 22 weeks pregnant, Kate found out her breast cancer had returned.At 33 weeks, she found out the cancer had spread to her spine. She was told it was terminal and that she had about three years to live.
The 40-year-old said: "Since the diagnosis, we wanted to live our lives; we wanted to make amazing memories with the children while we still can."Life sometimes; you think we'll wait for a rainy day before we do that, our rainy days came all at once and we were like 'Do you know what? We are just going to get out and live and do what we want'."
The family moved to Darwin in the Northern Territory, before sub-letting their home and packing life up in a caravan to tour the country while sharing snippets on social media.She, husband Kriss, 35, and their three children (aged eight, four and two), hit the road on 27 June.They have visited cities including Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth and estimate they have travelled 3,644 miles (5,864km) on the road and 6,216 miles (10,004km) by plane.The family watched all three games in the stadiums and Kate said it was "very top of the list" and to do it via caravan was "an amazing experience".
The family have been able to meet some of the players, including giving them a motivational speech.She said: "[Head coach] Andy Farrell had invited us to dinner to give the guys a bit of inspiration and present [Captain] Maro [Itoje] with his test jersey which was unbelievable, more than I can ever dream of."Her eldest son was a mascot for the second test, walking out with Itoje in Melbourne."It was incredible, it was such a proud moment and we were made up for him," Kate said."When you get a diagnosis like that everyone deals with everything differently. For us we wanted to get out there... we didn't want to sit and dwell on things."If treatment changes or prognosis changes, then we'll deal with that when it happens."
Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Australian spider with an 'excruciating bite' arrives in Britain: Cotswolds tourist is left with a hand 'like a balloon' after encounter
A Cotswolds tourist was left with his hand swollen 'like a balloon' after a spider from Australia followed him from the other side of the world. Hugh Marsh from Perth, Australia, was in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, for his cousin's wedding when he found the stowaway in his shoes. Initially thinking there was a wedge of tissue in the toe, he reached in and pulled it out, only to discover seconds later that it was webbing. With his hand reddened and itchy, Mr Marsh quickly washed it – but it was too late, and the next day it was blown up like a 'blimp'. 'I discovered it in my left shoe just before a wedding,' the 30-year-old said. 'I looked in thinking there was a wedge of tissue in the toe, and pulled it out, like you would, with my fingers. 'That's when I noticed my hand starting to feel itchy and saw the hairs.' Hugh says he 'immediately' knew something was wrong. He said: 'I washed my hands thoroughly, but the damage was done. 'And I had a wedding to go to, so hoped it was just a small effect. 'I didn't expect the blimp of a hand the next day.' He added: 'My whole hand was swollen like a balloon.' Images captured by Mr Marsh show his hand puffed up in reaction to the spider's hairs. 'It was as if I'd stuck my hand into a pile of cactuses,' he said. 'Extremely fine short hairs covered my middle and index finger, from the tips to the middle knuckle.' The Aussie event photographer reckons he hadn't worn the shoes for two or three years before the big day, and that they'd been in his closet the whole time. Though he didn't photograph the spider and is unsure of the species, he thinks it could have been a Badumna insignis after looking at pictures Black house spider Black House Spiders are widely distributed across southern and eastern Australia. They are timid animals, and bites from them are infrequent. The bite may be quite painful and cause local swelling. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sweating and giddiness are occasionally recorded. In a few cases skin lesions have developed after multiple bites. Source: Australian Museum And though he didn't photograph the spider and is unsure of the species, he thinks it could have been a Badumna insignis after looking at pictures. An Australian native species, it's better known as the black house spider, and is more dangerous than its name suggests, packing an excruciatingly painful bite. Some victims have reported nausea, vomiting, sweating, dizziness, and even skin necrosis from their venom. Hugh is just relieved the spider was already dead. He said: 'It was a black spider with thin legs and large mandibles, about the size of an Australian 50 cent coin. 'It had been deceased for a while by the looks of it. 'It was like it had gone into the shoe, wrapped itself in a cocoon of webbing and died.' He continued: 'I think it's pretty funny overall. 'Thankfully it was just the spider hairs that stuck into my fingers and not an actual bite – I'd be a little worried how that could've gone.' Hugh was able to enjoy the wedding with paracetamol before seeking medical attention. He was advised to use a strong antihistamine, but said it took a week for the swelling to go down.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Fears for playful dolphin who DANCED with family in incredible video at popular UK beach after it's ‘hit by a boat'
FEARS have been raised for a dolphin that was spotted playing happily with a family in the water before it was found injured by a boat. Lynda MacDonald, 50, and her partner, son and his girlfriend, set out for their 6am morning swim at Lyme Bay, Dorset on August 3 when they encountered the friendly dolphin. 4 4 4 Just moments after leaping into the chilly water the family encountered a curios bottlenose dolphin. The playful dolphin dances across the water towards the astonished family before swimming on its back and asking for belly rubs. Sadly, the dolphin seen in the footage has since been found injured by a boat in the Lyme Bay area. Wildlife experts have warned swimmers to avoid the creatures and fear for other dolphins around the UK's coast. Lynda, who works in advertising, said about her encounter: "Out of nowhere, the dolphin immediately approached us and wanted to join in on the action. "It was friendly and playful. It even started guiding members of our group along the water with its beak. "It was not distressed by our presence and was very confident around us. "I've seen a dolphin before, but this is something I'll remember forever." Lynda described the encounter as "magical" adding how glad she was to have caught it on camera. Dolphins appear in UK waters fairly regularly, according to the Dorset Wildlife Trust there are 28 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises in British coastal waters. Dolphins surround kayakers off coast of Scots beauty spot The creatures are curios and playful and will approach boats and even sometimes come close to swimmers. But marine experts have asked tourists to stay away from the playful animals, raising concerns for the safety of the sea creatures. Touching the animals can leave them vulnerable to predators according to experts. Swimmers have also been warned away from feeding dolphins any animal food, which may kill them. Lynda said about her encounter: "You can hear the footage audio that the dolphin was happy to interact with us. "But we were mindful; we played for five minutes and then let it go on its way." The UK is thought to have a population of around 700 coastal bottlenose dolphins. The species is renowned for being sociable and playful, often interacting with vessels. They are regularly seen off the coast of the UK and spend a large amount of time in coastal waters. Bottlenose dolphins are commonly seen in Moray Firth, Scotland, Cardigan Bay, Wales, and off the coasts of Cornwall and Northumberland. Playing with dolphins could stress the animals and disrupt their behaviour, migration and feeding. Dolphins, along with whales and other porpoises, are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Approaching or disturbing a dolphin can result in up to six months in prison as well as an unlimited fine.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
I ditched the UK to live in a cheap African country – but there's one thing my kids beg me to get it when I visit home
A WOMAN has revealed how she ditched the UK for a cheap country in Africa. Natalie, originally from the UK, packed up and left with her husband and two sons in tow. 3 3 Now, the mum lives in Zimbabwe but comes back to visit her family. And when she does, she always makes sure to bring something back for her kids that isn't available in the African country. Taking to social media, she said: "I live in Zimbabwe and I've just got back from visiting my family in England for two weeks without my kids, without my husband and I promised them one thing. "That I'd bring them a McDonald's back." Although travelling from her hometown of Leicester back to Zimbabwe takes around a day, she was able to collect the McDonald's and bring it with her. She said she picked it up before getting to the airport so they would cool down before putting them in plastic bags. "The London baggage scanner guy pulled the most disgusted face when seeing the McDonald's on the scanner," she added. "I even kept the packaging and got them a barbecue sauce," she added. When she finally got home, she put the nuggets and chips in the air fryer to crisp them back up and put them in their packaging. When her kids came through the kitchen, they legged it over to their rare lunch. I ditched the UK & bought a house for the same price as a summer holiday The clip has since gone viral on her TikTok account @ naturallyfakemum with over 89k views and 3,200 likes. People were quick to share their thoughts on Natalie's extreme lengths. One person wrote: "Omg do they not have McDonald's in Zimbabwe?" "Oh bless them, that was brilliant, their cute faces.. Super Mummy," penned a third. Moving house hacks 1. Declutter Before You Pack Sort through your belongings and get rid of anything you no longer need. Donate, sell, or recycle items to lighten your load. 2. Create an Inventory Make a list of all your items. This helps keep track of everything and ensures nothing gets lost in the move. 3. Use Quality Packing Materials Invest in sturdy boxes, bubble wrap, and packing tape. This will protect your belongings during the move. 4. Label Everything Clearly label each box with its contents and the room it belongs to. This makes unpacking much easier and more organized. 5. Pack a 'First Day' Box Include essentials like toiletries, a change of clothes, snacks, and important documents. This will keep you from rummaging through boxes on your first day. 6. Take Photos of Electronics Setup Before unplugging your electronics, take photos of the wiring setup. This will make it easier to reconnect everything at your new place. 7. Use Suitcases for Heavy Items Pack books and other heavy items in rolling suitcases. This makes them easier to transport and reduces the risk of injury. 8. Colour-Code Your Boxes Use different coloured stickers or markers for each room. This will help movers quickly identify where each box should go in your new home. Meanwhile a fourth said: "Super grim & dangerous." "Are they still alive after eating it?' claimed a fifth. "Alive and still kicking, 7 days later," replied Natalie.
