Life with Nat - EP237: GOSH Charity bonus episode

Episode Date: June 16, 2026

Two incredible guests join Nat for this bonus episode.The first is Gabi Field from Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, speaking today about the importance of the charity's Build it. Beat it. fundraising appeal, which is raising vital funds for a new Children's Cancer Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital. The second guest is Nat's very dear friend Abi, who some may recognise from episode two of Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together. Abi is also the mother of Joanie's bestie Arianna. Arianna was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma at 5 years old, and Abby has first-hand experience of what it's like to need the medical services GOSH have on offer, knows the pressure of spending lots of time in the building whilst that happens, and knows how important this new building will be to help beat cancer for more children.To support the Build it. Beat it. campaign or find out more about GOSH Charity, visit - www.gosh.orgFollow Arianna's journey www.instagram.com/ariannatherealwonderSolving Kids Cancer charity, which Nat is an ambassador of www.solvingkidscancer.org.ukGet in touch with Nat, buy tickets for upcoming live shows and find the family on Instagram: https://lifewithnatpod.komi.io/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nat will be here in just a moment for a Natter. And after this episode, make sure you check out Made by Mommas. Zoe Hardman is joined by Sex and Relationships expert Dr Tara for a brilliant chat about long-term relationships, intimacy and keeping the spark alive. As always with Dr Tara, it gets a little spicy. Search for Made by Mommas now and get the episode queued up. Hello and welcome to Life with Nat on this very, very special Wednesday where I am doing a lovely bonus episode all about Great Ormond Street Hospital

and an amazing fundraising appeal that they've got going on. But firstly, I am joined by a dear friend of mine, lovely Abbey. Hi. You're right? I'm good. Why haven't we done this before, actually? It's mad that I've been doing this for two years and you've not been in here. I just think you're to blame.

I just don't think that that's true. It's such an absolute. You did invite me once, but I can't remember why I can. couldn't do it. I can't remember. I can't remember. But all is good, yeah? Yeah, yeah, good. I feel like our lives are very, very busy and we haven't been together for ages. So we need to get a nice date in the diary for an evening. Yeah, we do. Me and Rach, nice catch up. We say that. But then we book it in and then it's done. So we just need to actually book it in the diary. What about when the birthday present you got me took about two years to do? Yeah, literally. Basically a birthday present to do this colour therapy. It was really cool.

idea. And I think it was like her following, your following birthday, that we actually done it. I'm sorry about that. No, it's fine. No, it wasn't even just, I mean, it was mainly you. It was mainly, but yeah. What was funny about the colour therapy is both of us, it was really good, wasn't it? Yeah, yeah, it was wicked. We chose our colours, found out what suits us and whatever, and then a week later, we're both wearing black again. It was really good. We really listened to that advice, not to wear black. Really worth the afternoon of colour therapy. Don't wear any colours that the lady told me to wear to this day. Same, same.

Oh, dear. So we are here to talk about gosh, Great Ormond Street Hospital. And joining us is lovely Gabby. Hello. How are you? Good, thank you. Welcome to the pod. Welcome to my house.

Thank you. Thank you for having me. I'm very excited. It's a pleasure. Very, very pleased. And you've come a long way. So it's much appreciated. You are very welcome.

So how did this come about then us doing this pod? You tell me. So at the moment at Great Almond Street Hospital, we are halfway through our biggest ever fundraising pill, which is called the Build It Beat Air Pill. So we're building the new children's cancer centre, the world leading children's cancer centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital. And I'm here to talk a bit more about that today, as well as Abby, talking a bit about that today too. And to bring to light what we're doing, why we're doing it, and the importance around supporting more children who are experiencing cancer.

Absolutely. Fantastic. And the reason we're sat here is, Abby, you've had an experience which no mother would ever want. And, you know, you've got first-hand experience of how important this cancer centre will be. Yeah, massively. There's so much that when we was fully within that. And just, I don't, we've not kind of introduced that in my daughter. Ariana, she's now 10, but when she was five,

She was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblestoma, and we went through two years of pretty intense treatment. And predominantly at Great Ormond Street Hospital, that was like our second home, quite literally, our second home. We were there sometimes more than even being at home. So it is such an important appeal that we're doing. And there's just so much that you can get out of what is being built at the moment. Went there, obviously, a couple of weeks ago, actually. And you can see, I mean, it's all covered, isn't it? It's all completely, like, hidden and covered.

What is it? Because obviously I've been down to the building when I was visiting you and visiting Ariana. So where is it? It's right in the front entrance. So the whole front building has come down. So we took all that down. That came down last June. And they're building the foundations at the moment. And then the build will happen over the coming years set to open in about three years' time.

2030 then roughly. Yeah, 29. 29, yeah. Yeah. So yeah, the front of the building. What I think is really cool is Ariana and a few other children have been not chosen. because they weren't chosen, but we had to apply and whatnot. But they are helping, like, design, like, elements of it.

So, Ariana helped design the entrance, which is so cool. She literally got to, like, do some drawing designs, and they spoke to, I think there's about five other children there. And Maya as well, one of my other daughters was there as well, just helping with the colour designs and what would, like, the whole walk through on the entrance, like, what would kind of make them excited to go to the hospital? And what a fantastic idea to do that for, to see it through a child's eyes, especially a child that has been within that environment for two years and over,

and to know what she would have liked to see. It's an important part of the hospital, actually, the co-production and everything that we do with children that have experienced being in Great Ormond Street Hospital and parents as well. And the point of the children's cancer centre centre is that it's going to be child-centred. And so actually getting Ariana and other children involved in helping us to understand what is really needed and parents is really important. as part of the design itself. Yeah. So obviously, Ariana and Joni are besties

and when that news hit. For listeners, you may have seen Abby, if you've watched my BBC documentary Natalie Cassidy Caring Together, Abby is in episode two with me

where I go on my placement with community nurses and obviously you were in the dock with me, and you were brilliant, by the way. Oh, really? Yeah, of course you. Did you enjoy it?

I loved, absolutely loved watching it. Yeah. I watched it with all my kids. And actually my five-year-old, because all of them watched it with me, but my five-year-old was so into it. She woke up the next morning and was like, I want to carry on watching the Natalie Cassidy show. Like she didn't know who you were, you know? Like, it was so cute. But no, we loved it. It was like absolutely brilliant. I just think it's a lovely show to do to highlight care in

general. So important. And it being Carers Week last week, you know, it's just lovely. It's so good that we're doing this. It just all ties together. It feels really good. I've actually got a voice note from somebody, which is really special that I'd like to play now for you. Hi, Nat and Gabby. This is Susie from Hitchin, Hertfordshire. I just wanted to say that this new leading children's cancer research building at Great Ormond Street is going to be incredible. I was a carer for a delightful family whose daughter had a brain tumour. She unfortunately did pass away from the brain tumour a couple of years ago. and I was doing a lot of her education and care for her simply just at bedside on the wards when she wasn't able to attend school. And this centre would have been absolutely life-changing.

We did actually start fundraising for this during her stay, her final stay at Great Ormond Street, and I could see how much it would benefit the staff and the children and the families and the carers and the grandparents on the wards. I really can't wait to see this come to fruition. And I just hope that everybody listening can find a pound or help contribute in some way, even just reading about it because it really is going to be life-changing for so many people. Keep up the great work. Lots of love.

Oh, isn't that lovely? So sweet. Thank you, Susie. Thanks so much. And you're an angel for being a carer. For what she does. Yeah, definitely. So tell me more about the centre because obviously I don't know when I came to visit Ariana.

the ward seemed amazing. You always said they were wonderful, you know, what did you call them, play? The play team. The play team were there to help. That's like Ariana's absolute. And I think most children, the play team, I didn't even know that that job existed until we went to Great Ormond Street. The play team were just so amazing. And if you ask Ariana now, what do you remember from hospital?

She will always say the play team. Yeah. Remember the play team? Always, always the play team. And that they would bring in messy play because she loves. messy play and she's not allowed it at home. And she could, you know, play with the most amount of sand, but they would always come in and they really got to know the children. And so they would come in and be like, Ariana, do you want arts and crafts or do you want messy play? And that would

always be Ariana, whereas other children might want toys or might want, you know, whatever it might be, but they knew Ariana down to a tea. And when Ariana was there, sometimes they'd even lay out the room to, like, when she arrived and when she was admitted, they would have the room laid out full of arts and crafts or messy play or whatever it might be, just things that she, that they know she'll get excited about walking into the room. So they were such, such a big part. So in terms of the centre, I would imagine that this is going to be amplified. Yeah, so the play team is fully funded by Great Ormond Street Hospital charity.

And there's 60 members of the play team. We've got one of the largest in the UK. And the play team, as you just said, Abby, like the thing that people remember is the memories that were built as part of play, whether that be messy play, as she said. But actually they use play to support children who are really anxious around different procedures. They will use play to support children to put in a cannula into a teddy bear,

put on an euthitis mask. And they are a big heart of the hospital. And so many families and children from a distraction point of view, as well as that sort of joy, celebrations, birthdays, different festivals that the play team will support and get involved in is really important.

And in the new Children's Cancer Centre, what will happen is a huge amount of services that I needed to support children will all come together in a space that is much more modern, a huge advances in the technology that will be in there, from our intensive care unit through to our Cancer Day Centre as well. And it just means that all the staff and teams will be in a space much closer together to give the greatest care for children when they need it most. Also within the Children's Cancer Centre, we will have a bigger school. as you were talking about the sort of need for children and their education. I know that I've bumped into a couple of our school teachers in the hospital and, you know, there are children taking their GCSEs while they're in the hospital with us. And so that normality of childhood and having school is really important.

We will also have more outdoor spaces. So there's going to be a rooftop garden as well. Which is massive. Oh, yes. Absolutely. Like, because there's obviously currently no outdoor space on any of the cancer wards, a great illness tree. And obviously some children are there.

for weeks, months, sometimes. I suppose you would have really appreciated that at the time. Yeah, because they can't, a lot of them don't have the immunity to go downstairs and kind of, you know, be with everyone else. So actually just having a little bit of outdoor space for them to just go and get some fresh air and the parents, of course, to just go and get some fresh air. Like, that's absolutely undervalued, I feel. Yeah.

And the garden itself will obviously be made for children to come out in their beds as well. It's going to be accessible for any child who needs. that, yeah, it will be hugely changing for many families. We know how important nature, fresh air is for all of us anyway. So, yeah, it will be really incredible for families to have that in the new centre. Incredible. Like bigger rooms as well, which, you know, is obviously if you're there for so long, you bring so much stuff with you.

I do remember when you came to visit and, you know, anyone would come to visit. It was everyone was so surprised that where the parents' beds were, you know, you always had to then put the bed back up to get that out of the way so that you could actually just have a little bit of floor space. So that's, yeah, that's massive as well. In terms of your experience there, obviously it's the worst thing ever and you never want to be in Great Ormond Street Hospital. No, really, never. To be honest, it is, you know, we're talking about it, but no one wants to be there. No. What do you think the build will do for families who are either there now or unfortunately will be going there?

There's so much that that is going to change with it, that it's really hard to kind of put into words how life changing it is. Aviana, the most amount of time she spent there was seven weeks straight, obviously, where she couldn't even leave. And that, to be in one room where it has no outside space, the playroom actually wasn't open because it was during COVID. And the playroom actually wasn't open at that time. So for her just to be secluded to one room, that didn't have aircon either. And some days it was absolutely sweltering in there, I have to say, didn't have TV screen. Or they did, but the TV screen are just the really old school ones that pulled out and has like channels one to four or something like that. You know, it's going to make such a huge difference because there's just not a lot to do there.

And as amazing as a team are there, because they are so amazing. The nurses work so hard. It's unreal. that, you know, and that that's obviously not going to change. But the actual space and the environment is just going to change so massively for that family who has to be their weeks on end. And when they do have visitors coming down, like when all of my kids will come down. And Chris obviously, my husband would be there.

It was just, the room was just too small to kind of cater for all of us. And then it would get really overbearing, far too hot in there. The bathroom was tiny, had like the smallest little shower in there. So for adults who are there, of course, we still need to shower and everything. Yeah, of course. It was just really uncomfortable for everyone being there. You know, so actually having some decent floor space to sit on some outdoor space, as mentioned, having, you know, really good facilities in that play team and in the play area.

And just facilities in the room for the child to be able to utilise. And the parents, of course, to utilise is it really will be life-changing. And it will be a home from home, a proper home-from-home experience. And that's the vision of the children's cancer in exactly what you just said. I'll be it home from home. And that's why we're driving the Build It Beat at Fundraising Appeal because the Build It Beat It Appeal is a £300,000 fundraising appeal. The reason for us doing it, we know that cancer diagnosis is the biggest killer of children under 14.

It has actually increased by 13%. It says here cancer is the biggest killer, age 1 to 14 in the UK, with five children being diagnosed every single day. The number of children with cancer has grown by 13% since the early 2000. and children aged under five make up almost half of all the cases of children's cancer in the UK. And it's not funded properly. No. But that's another story.

300 million pounds sounds like a lot of money, but I'm sure that it goes very, very quickly when you're doing something like this. In terms of rooms, for instance, and how many children it's going to hold, can you tell me a bit of detail about that? The centre itself will actually be able to hold, well, I say hold more. That doesn't seem quite right. But we'll have the space for more children to be supported. Because as you just said, Natalie, the statistics speak for themselves.

And again, to your point, Abby, we want to make sure that it is as comfortable and a home-from-home experience. Even the small things, you know, are really important for families. As you said, it's an absolutely life-changing moment when you're told what's happening to your child. And suddenly the speed that sometimes you move as well to come to the hospital and your whole world is turned upside down. It can be the really small things that make all the difference and how do we make sure we make that as comfortable? as we can for the child, obviously, but for parents too who are ultimately living in the hospital as well. So the facilities themselves, pioneering research that we also fund as well, so things around how we can make kind of treatments for children as well, particularly with

the cancer diagnosis, is going to be really important. A big part of what the centre will be able to help us do, because as well as the medicine that we have now, we know that there's much further we need to go around research and to make kind of treatments for children. Absolutely. The treatments in which Ariana went through, do you want to just explain to the listeners? Yeah, of course. In some detail of what she went through and where we are now. Yeah, absolutely.

So, as I said, Ariana was five years old when she was diagnosed. On the 19th of November 2021, we knew that she had cancer. That was when they found the tumour at our local hospital. We was transported to, or blue lighted to Great Ormond Street, the day after she had. her official diagnosis of high risk neuroposth on the 26th of November and she started treatment on the 27th of November which I really wanted to make clear how quickly that is. So to think that week one, your daughter has cancer and week two she is being treated for stage four cancer and having her first chemotherapy drug. That was the most mind-blowing thing ever for us and she went

through 80 days of chemotherapy. That was five different chemo drugs that she had for 80 days. We was in hospital most of the time during that period. She then had reassessment scans, and we found out that her disease, because she had it all over her body, she had 36 spots all over her body. Her disease wasn't clearing quickly enough, and she was classified as refractory, which means she then had to go on a trial drug, which was offered by a Great Almond Street Hospital. So she went on a trial drug, which again was more chemotherapy, different types of chemo. And it's really important to note that because I didn't know how much. many different types of chemotherapy drugs there were. There are a lot of chemo drugs, but the reality is with neuroblastoma, it's so aggressive that if you use the same chemotherapy drugs or any

drugs, it then starts to recognise that. They say it's the most clever children's cancer, don't they? Yeah, yeah, exactly that. It starts to recognize that and then it becomes immune to it. So you have to keep changing drugs and you have to keep changing the treatment program, which is really difficult because there are a lot, but the reality is there's not in enough. There's not enough options for something like that. So Ariana did two different trials. One was not in Great Ormond Street Hospital. That was run by Southampton Hospital and UCLH. And then went back to Great Almond Street Hospital after having however many types of chemotherapy drugs orally and obviously intravenously. And then Ariana went into and had immunotherapy. That was part of the trial that we've done at UCLA. And she also had internal radiation. It's called MIBG therapy.

which all the neuroblasoma community will know about. And then we went back to Great Ormond Street and Arianna had high-dose chemo, which is strong chemo. And then Ariana had to have stem cell. Transparen. I remember the stem cells. Yeah, that was the... It was so good, wasn't it?

Yeah, it was. In terms of what you got... Am I right? Because I remember those messages. I remember you saying it might not be a lot, but they managed to harvest a lot. So that was, yeah. Yeah, I forgot to even mention that, actually. So that was before.

So they had to harvest her... That's it. They had to do sem cell harvest. I was heavily pregnant at the time. I'd never forget that and I was putting the smallest room on elephant ward. I would honestly never forget that. And it was 100 million degrees just because I got so hot at the time. To be sure, the ward was right name for you at that point, would it?

Elephant was. So that's true. Like, she's an elephant. They've got the elephant going in. Joking, joking. Thanks that. It's making me feel a bit conscious. Friendly banter between friends.

And yeah, the smallest room. I was like, really? Anyway, and yeah, Ariana had to have stem cell harvest. So basically they extract her stem cells, which is really clever, really clever. And when you watch the massive machine that comes in with it as well, I was like, really, it's already a million degrees in here. You're bringing in this huge machine, honestly. Anyway, it was really clever because she ended up harvesting, I believe it was 19 million cells. And all she needed, I say all she needed is, she needed 10 million.

But the first few days, it was looking quite negative and it was looking like she wasn't going to harvest. that many. I think she harvests like three million on day one, one million on day two. So then Ariana had to have an injection every six hours in her leg to really try and boost her stem cells, which clearly did the job, made her a little bit unwell, but not massively unwell compared to everything else. And then she ended up harvesting 19 million, which was huge, but over four days, but normally it's over a day or two. So it was elongated out, but yeah, we managed to get what we needed, of course. And so then during the high dose chemo, they then put in her stem cells, so back in her.

So because of the high-dose chemo, it strips everything. So, you know, absolutely everything internally for Ariana. And that is where, you know, it will kill things like her ovaries, things like that. So it completely stripped her. So then her stem cells then had to be reput back in her. And then in the hope that obviously she then starts, you know, growing her immunity again, which obviously she did, which was, you know, great. There's so many side effects that come with high-dose chemo

but Aviana was actually, although she couldn't eat for four weeks, she couldn't drink for four weeks, nothing could go through her. She was being fed through her Hickman line. That was obviously awful and she was just really sad the whole time because she obviously just felt really unwell. But actually she handled it so well in comparison. She's handled everything. Yeah, so well.

Yeah, she has. We call her Wonder Woman, don't we? Of course. Listen, if you're interested within this story, please follow at Ariana the Real Wonder Woman because everything's on there really from sort of day of diagnosis right up until this day, isn't it? Yes, exactly. It is the most incredible story. You know, we'll go on to where we are now.

Yeah. But to watch you as my friend, what you've been through, what Ariana's been through, Chris and all the girls. And your whole family is just incredible. And what I do want to say, Gabby, about Abby, is she is a, Wonder Woman. It's ridiculous how she has, over those five years, just carried on. Of course, she's had bad days and, you know, as anyone would, but I don't know if I would have ever been able to do what she did in terms of being pregnant at the time. Having another child, having four girls, Ariana being the eldest, and going through what she's been through over

these five years, creating her an amazing business. I mean, it is mind-blowing. What you do. And I can say that because you're my friend, but it is incredible. I know, but I do also feel that when you're obviously put in that situation, you just don't have any other option. No, it's not. It's not quite a choice, exactly that, yeah. So you do kind of just have to do it.

You know, whenever I see any of the parents in Great Ormond Street, it was always exactly that. Like, wow, you're pretty amazing, you know, just the way how everyone kind of handles himself. So, yeah, it's thank you. I do really appreciate that. That's good. Thank you. But that's why we're here and that's why it's so important to talk about this appeal.

So 300 million. Yes. Where are you? Do we know where we are with the numbers? Show me the numbers. We are on track. There's still quite a long way to go. Yeah.

So as I said, the centre itself will be due to open in 29. Obviously, with anything like that, it depends around as it gets built. But yes, the build it be to appeal. We're asking for anybody who wants to get involved. So how do we get involved? Tell me how we get involved. So you can go to gosh.org. You'll find everything on our website.

you can get involved, whether you want to give a cash donation, whether you want to take part in an event, you could, if you're feeling like running a London marathon or taking on a trek, you can do it. I'm not doing any more marathons, Gavin. Are you sure? Absolutely. I don't believe you. You just said to me, day before yesterday, oh, we've got to go out for a run again.

No, I know, but that's a small. We do need to get back into it, but I don't think I could do a marathon. I mean, I think you're pretty crazy. I think you should be doing a marathon really because you've not done one yet. I've done a marathon. I've done a half. That's great. No, but that was hard.

That was hard word. I could not imagine finishing that half and being like, oh, I'm halfway. And he says do it all over again. Yeah, but your brain doesn't compute. You don't think like that when you're doing it at the time. I don't know. I'm 5K level, so I can't even imagine half marathon, let alone a marathon. No, I'm 5K level.

I was like a tortoise bug, I did it. But I did it. No, you've done it. I think you've done it in really good time, I think. 527. That's amazing. And 528, I think. But I did.

I jogged all the way. It was a very slow job all the way. But when I go with you, that's the only time that I actually run continuously because I get bored easy when I'm in. I know, you get bored all the time. Do I do? Get bored when I talk to you. That's not true.

I stop and then I'm on my phone and then I'm like, oh. And then I'm like, okay, I've got to carry on going. But when I'm with you actually, we do just run. You're good at that. You are good. Determined. Yeah, you are. Yeah.

And then you start talking and I'm like, I can't talk. when I'm running. I'm about to die. Come on. No, we should. We've got to start going out again in the mornings. It's good. Yeah, it is good.

It is good. So when you say events, there's lots online to look at. Yes, there is, yeah. So any form, you know, you think if you want to do a bake sale, your school wants to get involved, your club wants to get involved. There's all the information on the website that you can do to get involved in fundraising or make a donation yourself easily at gosh.org. But yeah, anybody who wants to get involved, obviously, it's going to transform the life

for children and their families. And as you know, we've spoken a lot today about a cancer diagnosis and the sort of the missed childhood memories that then happen as part of that, a child having care at Great Ormond Street Hospital. And so I think that the centre itself is going to enable more of those incredible moments to happen from simple things such as birthdays, riding a bike, you know, all the things that should happen within childhood that with a cancer diagnosis stops those memories. And, you know, a big part of the build it, B to it appeal. And, you know, the Transformation Centre itself, is that children and their families can have the best chance and best childhood possible.

How long have you been working for gosh, Gabby? Two years. So? I've been, yes, gosh, two years and I absolutely love it. I actually studied human biology at university and I did a workday placement in the special feed unit in Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2008. I think it wasn't the first time. I went and I remember thinking, could it be really interesting to work here.

And then this job came up. It does feel like that. Definitely. Yeah. It is, and, you know, of course I'm biased, but it is an incredibly special place. But actually, it's a very special place. You know, no parent wants to be there. I appreciate that as well.

No, not all. But yeah, the stuff that, yeah, the medicine and the research that happens, and even down to the play team, as we've already spoken about, it's all there to try the best to make it at home from home, recognising what's actually happening. I mean, when we was on our way to Great Ormond Street, the amount of messages that we got were saying, you're going into the best place.

And we knew that. We knew that we was going to the best place, but obviously you still don't want to go. No, of course. But you're right. It is great, Onman Street has the most wonderful reputation, and it deserves to have the best facilities, you know, and especially for children with cancer. Because, I mean, obviously we are involved with solving kids cancer,

the charity for neuroblastoma. And I've done quite a lot of work, and I'm proud to say that I am a patron of it now, which is so lovely, ambassador. But there's not enough funding that goes into it. It's appalling. It is, and it's really shocking because obviously before this,

you always know about childhood cancer. You know, you hear about the stories, but you never really get yourself involved because it is a bit of a taboo subject, isn't it? But it's so important to understand the lack of funding that goes into it. So the treatments that Ariana and all of the children, or any child that's going through childhood cancer,

the treatment that they're receiving is adult treatment. It's treatment designed for adults. So things like it does stunt children's growth. It does, I mean, Ariana's quite tall, actually. So lucky in that instance. But it does make them infertile. It does give them all these awful long-term side effects. So we was told that Ariana will never be able to be a runner, for example.

She would never be able to do a marathon because her lungs would be massively effective by the treatment. we were told her heart would be affected at pretty much every vital organ is affected and that's long-term for Ariana that is for the rest of her life. You know, so it just blows my mind that we are in the 2026 and there are not treatments designed for kids

and the fact that even things that we have to raise money so we raise money to go to New York for a maintenance treatment based in New York just blows my mind that we have to do that because that's the only place in the world that offers this treatment for neuroblastoma. Yes. For maintenance treatment, it's, yeah, it's, it's mad. It is mad.

But we raised the money, didn't we? We got there. We did. We did it. 300,000 pounds. Yeah. It's amazing. She's having it.

And when's her next one? December. December. That's her last one. Yeah. Absolutely amazing, isn't it? Yeah. It is.

And as you said, regarding what we're talking about, this centre is going to be another hub for research into treatments for children. So it is essential. It's not only about the people that are ill, the people that are staying there and those facilities, but it's going to have more space and more room for research for children to be done. Yes. Yeah. Because currently 5% of funding goes into child. 5% yeah. Health research. Why is it? What do we think? What do we, why do we, I don't want to get political, but it sort of blows my mind a little to why that is when they are the future. It's a bit like women.

Women's health also has a very small percentage. Yes. Research funding. I didn't know that either. Oh, that's very true, yeah. I didn't know that. It was like the research. 10%?

The research that went into Viagra, that was very, very large and very, very speedy. Oh, really? Yes. So one of the, you know, one of the really only sort of men's problems as you get older has been sorted out in a flash. Yeah. Of course.

I hope I'm right to say that. It's true, that's true. Well, we're living in a time at the moment also where, you know, life's hard for people. It is, yeah. It's hard for people. You know, food banks are on the rise. Bills are going up. People haven't got a lot in that pot at the end of their month.

Yeah. But even if it's, you know, the tiniest amount makes such a difference. It really does. Giving up a coffee a day. Exactly. Not a day, but giving up one coffee that one day and actually donate to Nick. I mean, the coffees you have would. No, like that.

Probably pay for the... I was saying that I could see your eyes on me. Oh, coffee addict. I'm going to play this voice note in and see, well, let's just have a little chat about it. Hi, I'm a palliative care nurse by trade, actually, and I've just left a job where our... children's hospices worked very closely with Gosh. And I've got to say that their palliative care team are amazing.

The thing is they don't have enough community outreach and it falls to children's hospices and other community services to pick it up. So it's great when they're in or they're going to be in this new cancer centre. But how do they then build the neighbourhood around that? So all of the different requirements that families need once their child is there, they're receiving treatment and support in the centre, but they go home. And as we know, and as you know, Nat, from your care work, care is 24-7 and it's needed in whatever environment you're in. So whether that's a hospital, whether that's at home, whether that's in a hospice,

whether that's in a school, they need see better. The only thing that I would say to going back to that, because obviously, yeah, I understand that. And when we first went to the hospital and then we were sent home and we were like, oh my God, we're completely blinded. What do you mean we have to go home and give Ariana all this medication and whatnot? But then they do hand you over to the local hospitals and the local hospitals. They get to know you as much as and as well as Great Ormond Street because in my understanding anyway, that's the local hospitals position to then take over. They come out to you that it's the community team around you rather than that being Great Ormond Street because how can Great Ormond Street do that? Well, they can't, from

Great Ormond Street, you've got people coming from Birmingham, Manchester, you know, all over the UK. Yeah. Yeah. Going to the epicentre of, you know, the best place to be for children's health. Yeah. But I remember you saying, again, and this is where it came in with episode two, you then had community nurses. Yeah. Which you really get to know, you know, and like with Arianna right now, she's having some stomach pains.

With that, we call our local team. We, you know, we let Great Ormond Street know, of course, but we call our local team and we know them. you know, as well, and they know Ariana as well as, you know, the team at Great Ormond Street. So I really like that because if there's ever an issue or when Ariana was on treatment, we rush straight to our local hospital, which is 10 minutes away, yeah, rather than Great Almond Street, an hour and a half on a good day away. So I don't necessarily agree with that. I do think that when they go home, they need to be, it needs to be run by the community team because they're local.

That's my opinion on that. And Great Almond Street Hospital is a tertiary hospital. So we are funded by the NHS and part of then the connections, as you've just said, Abby, into much more local hospitals, local services as well. Because people think of great homage to it as just the hospital being in London. But as you said, Natalie, we care for children all over the UK and actually globally as well. And therefore, we work with multitude of services to ensure that that transition at any point can be as best supported within the NHS system that we have.

Yeah, what a hard job, though. Just an amazingly hard job. And I think there's a lot here. I would love to hear from people what they think about all of it, really, fundraising, what are their views on charities? Have you had any experience? I did put a call out, but I think it was a little bit late in the day, so apologies for that.

But, you know, please get in touch with your voice notes and questions. We can easily do a part two of this in three or four months to see how it's all going and, you know, catch up with people. So 07-820, 1919, get in touch with me. on the WhatsApp number and let me know what you think about this special bonus episode.

I can't thank you enough for coming up. Oh, it's been a pleasure. Honestly. Honestly, it's been so lovely. I think it's really important to open up these conversations.

It is a difficult listen but this is happening to families all over and as you said, did you say five every day? Yes. Five children a day. Five children a day.

It's frightening, isn't it? It is. And that's what I hate, right, you know, I hate the word rare. Yeah. Because that's why they say that there's not so much funding that goes towards children with cancer because it's rare. But the reality is actually when one day, I think I told you, I was sitting in Great Ormond Street, went into the kitchen and there were four other moms there and they were all from around our local area. Yeah. All of us.

And I thought, how can each of us, all with, like children with different ages, different diagnosis, but I was like, how can all of us just be in Great Ormond Street Hospital, the best hospital in the world? right and there's only us in the kitchen right now. It'd be from hot for the year. And we're all from five minutes away from each other. I find that mad. It's not as rare as people think. No. So actually, you know, helping raise money for such vital things and research and Great

Women Street Hospital and anything towards childhood cancer, that could be actually helping you out. You know, I'm talking to the audiences here. That could be helping you out in future. You know, God, you always hope that it never, ever. happens to you or anyone that you know, but that was exactly the position that we were in, of course. And then when it hits you, it hits you like a ton of bricks. And then you're on the back foot, trying to raise money, trying to help, trying to do whatever you can. But the reality

is we should be doing that from the start because it's our children who are impacted and it's our future. And it's our children's future. And our children can't do this for themselves. So we need to do that for them. Thank you. Thanks. Fabulous way to end this little bonus. Thank you so much. I'll see you in a minute at the school run anyway. Yeah, literally. Gabby, thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you both.

All of the details will be at the bottom of this podcast, wherever you find it. Once again, Gabby, just give the details if anyone wants to pop online and look straight away. Yep. So if anyone wants to get involved in supporting the Build It Beat It Appeal, you go to gosh.org and you'll find out more there. Easy peasy. And remember, please send me a WhatsApp, voice note or message if you've had any experiences with Gosh or you want to talk about children's cancer and let's make this happen and let's raise this money.

Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back with you tomorrow for a very normal episode. Have a nice evening. Cheers. Thank you.