The parents of a teenage girl with a rare form of childhood cancer say the hidden costs of caring for their daughter have left them in fear of losing their home.
Maya, 13, from Hythe in Kent, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at three years old, but relapsed in 2023 having been in remission for five years.
Her mother, Dellanie, said the pressure of paying a mortgage and bills whilst she and her husband, Terry, are working less to care for Maya is continuing to take its toll on their family of five.
Dellanie, an NHS nurse, said: “Whilst your child is poorly and you are fighting for her life, the bills don’t stop coming.”
She added: “My husband has lost his income as he is caring for Maya, and these days you need two people working just to keep your head above water.
“It has been very, very difficult but our aim has always been to to look after our child as well as each other.
“I always put a brave face on – of course I’m hurting, but I can’t be in the corner crying.”
Maya, who her mother described as a “larger than life person” who loves animals and music, was first diagnosed with neuroblastoma near her adrenal gland when she was three-years-old.
