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A Leaf from the book of love
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| ONLINE: Natasha with the new Leaf website |
"I'M going to die." These words went through Natasha Taylor's mind when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia.
Natasha had given birth to her second son only a month earlier and had her life ahead of her. But she was convinced it was all over.
"It was unbelievable. I was 28 - you just don't expect to hear that at that age. I couldn't believe I was that unlucky," she said.
Fast forward three years and Natasha is thriving.
Fit and well, she is expecting her third child in September, busy running the charity she set up from her hospital bed - Leukaemia Educating and Fundraising (Leaf).
Although she came up with the idea for the charity, and even planned the launch party during her six-month stay in hospital, Leaf took a back seat when Natasha returned to her home in Creekmoor.
"I was absolutely knackered," she remembers. "I felt I needed a bit of a break, so I threw myself into family life."
After spending time being a wife to Paul, 31, and mum to Joshua, eight, and Alfie, now two, Natasha decided she felt "normal" again and ready to concentrate on promoting the work of Leaf.
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| NOW: Natasha Taylor with husband Paul and sons Joshua, eight, and Alfie, two |
"It's just recently that we've been putting our heads down and doing different projects," she said.
"We've got a holiday scheme that has just started. We've got a holiday home in Studland and we sent a young family on holiday that had lost their mum to leukaemia.
"She was 32 and left behind three little boys and her husband. We got a lovely letter saying it helped all of them.
"We want more awareness so that we can send more people on holidays. We've got the money in the pot. We want to be able to use it."
Much of the money raised by Leaf is used to help patients on Poole Hospital's Durlston Ward, where Natasha was treated. The charity supplies items such as toiletries, pyjamas, DVD players and CDs to the ward, to help patients feel as comfortable as possible.
"I know from when I was in there that you're absolutely terrified, feeling really poorly and just surrounded with hospital things," she said.
As well as offering a counselling service, Leaf organises hospital visits to show patients the disease can be beaten, and supports Leukaemia Research, to help fund more medical advances.
But it's still not enough as far as Natasha is concerned.
"The other thing I felt was really hard was coming home from hospital," she remembers.
"I thought the minute I was released everything would go back to normal.
"But I was really weak, I still felt poorly and I was really frustrated that I couldn't do what I wanted to be able to do.
"Where I was in isolation for so long, just going to the supermarket would really scare me. I would sometimes just abandon the trolley and go home.
"It was just going back to social circumstances again. I just felt I could have done with emotional support and practical support. I felt I didn't get that, so that's something that Leaf is looking at, that support for people when they leave hospital - cleaners, people coming and cooking meals."
Natasha is also on the look-out for anyone with a head for heights to take part in a sponsored abseil later in the year, and anyone suffering from leukaemia, or who has had it, to share experiences on Leaf's new website.
"I just want to make Leaf a bigger thing," she said.
"I had six months of absolute hell and, as horrendous as the situation was, something good had to come out of it. Not only the fact that I've survived, but there's also Leaf that can help people."
And of course, she's looking forward to the birth of her third child.
"When I was told I'd got leukaemia, for me personally, I really thought that was it. So to recover and be well and be pregnant is a miracle," she said.
"I really do feel blessed that it's happened."
To find out more, visit leafonline.org.uk.
7:00pm Friday 16th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: laurie marsh, australia on 12:21pm Sat 17 May 08
IN THIS WORLD THERE ARE TALL PEOPLE, SHORT PEOPLE AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
YOU NATASHA ARE ONE OF THE GIANTS!
WELL DONE AND GOOD LUCK!
IN THIS WORLD THERE ARE TALL PEOPLE, SHORT PEOPLE AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
YOU NATASHA ARE ONE OF THE GIANTS!
WELL DONE AND GOOD LUCK!
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