This week, we’d like to help an 18 year old girl called Wiktoria, who has been undergoing cancer treatment and is in need of some help.

Wiktoria was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at the start of the pandemic last year and has been having chemotherapy, so she has had to shield for almost a year.

She lives at home with her mum and younger sister. They are a big support to her, but they are struggling financially.

She was nominated by her cancer rehabilitation specialist, who said Wiktoria loves swimming, but sadly can’t afford a membership for the local pool.

“She is a genuinely lovely girl who is so grateful for anything people do for her, no matter how small. I’d love to be able to provide her with a membership, so she can swim without having to feel guilty about the cost... when the electricity needs to be paid at home, for example. It will improve her fitness and health, but above all her self-confidence and mental well-being,” her specialist said. 

When I asked Wiktoria what being able to swim regularly would mean to her, she said: "I've been feeling very anxious about everything since my diagnosis, constantly over worrying and stressing about the smallest things. It would be so amazing being able to take my mind off all these things and go out and do some swimming with my sister."

With your help, we’d like to provide both Wiktoria and her sister with annual memberships to their local pool, so she can swim anytime she likes without having to worry about whether they can afford it.  We'll also buy them new swimming costumes.