A MOTHER who cared for her daughter through more than two years of cancer treatment before she died earlier this year, has been nominated for a Proud of Barnsley award.
Little Aalish Naylor died in June, aged eight.
She had been diagnosed in December 2015 with neuroblastoma, a rare type of childhood cancer which affects the nerves. She underwent gruelling chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy.
Through all the scans, needles, x-rays and tests, Aalish’s mum Jo was with her every step of the way. She has now been nominated as Carer of the Year.
Jo, 41, of Hawthorne Crescent, Dodworth, said: “It’s an honour, if I’m honest.
“I did it because she was my daughter, because she was the age she was, and because what parent wouldn’t?
“I have a tremendous amount of pain and hurt from what happened to Aalish - I feel it should never have happened.
“But from the moment she was diagnosed, my job was to stand by her side and hopefully that’s what people saw in me.
“I was there for all of it and it absolutely terrified and upset me. It killed me seeing her go through all of these traumatic things and me not being able to take it away.
“If your child falls over, you put some cream and a plaster on and the wound heals. If they have a cough or cold you give them a bit of paracetamol and in a few days they’re hopefully on the mend.
“This was something I never thought would happen.”
In addition, when Jo’s son Jack was three weeks old, he was diagnosed with Group B streptococcal meningitis. Jack, now 12, spent three weeks in Barnsley Hospital.
Jo added: “For 48 hours the doctor said it was very touch and go.
“As a parent, I’ve had two children and both have had some serious conditions - one of which I have lost.
“To think that people have seen that, and seen me care for Aalish, makes me feel special and that I did something right, even though I didn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve with her.
“It makes me feel proud that they are probably proud of me for doing what I did in the situation I was put in.”
