Steph's Wishes

Hello Everyone,
This charity has been set up in memory of our beautiful, brave daughter, sister and Auntie Stephanie Clair Knight who sadly lost her four year battle with Ewings Sarcoma on May 22nd 2013.
Stephanie was so brave during this time and she focused on hope and what she could do to help others and started to fundraise to make a difference for other young people who were in the same situation as her and she did this even in her darkest hour never losing sight or hope for the future.
She inspired many to do the same and her love to make sure that people were able to smile in the most desperate of times was infectious . So please read her story and we hope you will join us to raise funds and make a difference to many in the future as our Stephanie wanted to do.
Thank you Cindy, Steve and The Family

Stephs Story
Stephanie Knight was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma of the pelvis at the age of 17 in 2009. She battled and won but sadly the cancer returned and after more treatment and a leg and pelvis amputation Stephanie lost her fight on May 22nd 2013.
Stephanie was born in Hertfordshire in December 1991. From the start she endured so much, an emergency c-section birth and a lumbar puncture for suspected meningitis at just two days old. But she bounced back and was a bright, loving child, the youngest of four but certainly the boss!
Stephanie grew into a beautiful young woman, full of life and love for others and a real sense of what was right and how to treat people.
Shortly after her 17th Birthday Stephanie started to feel unwell, she was in tremendous pain in her leg and pelvis, she was sent to hospital for various test then in June 2009 we were told the devastating news that Stephanie had a tumor on her pelvis, more test found that it was a rare and aggressive teenage bone and soft tissue cancer called Ewings sarcoma.
On 22nd September 2009, the day her nephew was born,in the same hospital Stephanie started treatment. She endured 12 cycles of very aggressive chemotherapy every third week, putting her in hospital for five days each cycle and making her very unwell for ten days every three weeks. She lost her hair after six days and had to have monthly injections to try and help her be able to have children in the future. Radiotherapy was also done five days a week for six weeks in the middle of the twelve cycles which had its own side effects of sickness, tiredness and soreness to the skin.
When this happened Stephanie was a full time student of 17yrs old studying childcare at college as her ambition was to become a pre-school teacher, so her second year had to be put on hold.
In October 2010 Steph finished treatment and was in remission!! She started to live her life again, returning to college and began working at Smarties Pre-school in Steeple Morden.
Stephanie spent four years from 2009-2012 fundraising and raising awareness of teenage cancers, working with the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT), for who she was a young ambassador. She was a committee member of the Royston in Blue fun run and has taken part in Race For Life over the last two years. She helped to raise approximately £40,000. She was awarded the young achievers award in Hertfordshire for her fundraising in 2011.
During routine screening we were told in April 2012 her cancer had returned in the same place and she was admitted back into Addenbrookes, Hospital spending 12 weeks bed-ridden in hospital due to the pain. She then started chemotherapy again, an even more aggressive course this time. We were all hopeful the chemo would work but were soon told it wasn’t. We were then given the bad news that if Stephanie had any chance of survival she had to have a major operation to remove her right hip, pelvis and leg. We were all so shocked and know that it was Steph’s only chance to survive but that there were still no guarantees. The operation was carried out at Birmingham Orthopedic Hospital on Monday 8th October 2012 and was a success, the cancer was gone! Stephanie stayed in Birmingham for two weeks where she began her physio to help with her recovery. Steph was then transferred to Addenbrookes Hospital Cambridge in recovery for another few weeks, there were some complications but she remained positive and determined in her outlook. She was allowed home on the 29th November 2012. She turned 21 in December 2012, a huge party was thrown and Stephanie looked amazing and was so brave. She spent Christmas with her family but was in so much pain that on December 29th 2012 was re-admitted to Addenbrookes.
Then unfortunately on New Years Day 2013 we were told that the cancer was back and Stephanie’s condition was terminal and she would only have months to live. We were all heartbroken.
So Stephanie set about making a “bucket list” that would leave behind amazing family memories for her family and friends. So between January – April 2013 Steph and her family and friends did some wonderful things together, spa days, trips to the seaside, visiting the icebar and meeting some pretty famous people!
Also in this time Stephanie wanted to set up her own charity to help other young people with recurring cancer have memories with their families as we had found that the second time round you are not offered as much help and support from other cancer charities.
Sadly Stephanie’s condition took a dramatic down turn at the end of April 2013 and she was given days to live. But in true Stephanie Style she fought hard for 5 weeks, still doing small things such as takeaway and fireworks nights with friends and family.
Stephanie’s will to live was so strong but devastatingly at 5.45pm on May 22nd 2013 she could not fight any longer and peacefully passed away with family all around her.
Since Stephanie passed, us, her family and friends have taken on the mantle and have set up Steph’s Wishes, a charity to provide family experiences for young people 18-25 in the UK and their families who find themselves with recurring or terminal cancer.
Stephanie would say “ its not the extraordinary things you get to do in life that matter the most but just the ordinary things with family and friends.”
Steph’s Wish was to make a difference, she did that in her short but amazing life, so we now want to continue her legacy whilst helping other young people have a time to remember.

Please support us and help make a difference xx