Over the past year, Teagan’s childhood has looked very different from what any child’s should. After being diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, she spent many long days and nights as an inpatient between Crumlin Children’s Hospital, Cork University Hospital, and later Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where she spent five and a half months receiving treatment.
Hospital life meant Teagan had to miss out on so many of the simple joys of being a little girl, playing freely, going on adventures, exploring the outdoors, and making happy memories away from treatment. But through some of the hardest moments, Teagan held onto something very special: her wish.
Teagan’s mum Tarien told us that as a family, they often spoke about going camping. It became their little escape during hospital days, something bright and exciting to dream about when everything around them felt frightening and uncertain. They would talk about being surrounded by trees, sleeping somewhere cosy, spending time together, and enjoying nature as a family.
Before many of Teagan’s general anaesthetics, when she felt nervous or afraid, her mum Tarien would gently speak to her about her wish. She would tell Teagan to close her eyes and dream about her camping trip, to imagine the adventure, the fresh air, the fun, and the family time waiting for her.
And somehow, that dream helped.
Thinking about her wish gave Teagan a way to leave the hospital behind, if only in her imagination. It gave her something calm and happy to focus on before going under anaesthetic. It gave her strength during some of her toughest days and lifted her spirits when she needed it most.
Recently, Teagan’s wish came true!
Teagan, her brother Mason, and her parents Tarien and Paul enjoyed a beautiful family getaway at Center Parcs, nestled in the peaceful Longford Forest. After so much time spent inside hospital walls, Teagan finally got to be surrounded by trees, fresh air, laughter, and the freedom of nature.
The family stayed in a cosy woodland lodge and made the kind of memories they had dreamed about for so long. Teagan got to meet baby owls, have her face painted, take part in an Easter egg hunt, try her hand at archery, and explore the forest on a family nature quest.
For Teagan and her family, this wish was so much more than a holiday.
It was the dream they had spoken about in hospital rooms. It was the thought that helped calm her before anaesthetics. It was the bright little light she held onto through long days, scary moments, and months spent far from home.
Her wish gave her something to look forward to when life felt heavy. And when it finally came true, it gave the whole family something cancer could not take away. Joy, adventure, togetherness, and precious memories made outside of hospital.
Tarien told us “After everything Teagan has been through, seeing her surrounded by nature, smiling, exploring, and simply enjoying being a child again meant more than words can ever fully explain. Teagan’s wish gave her back a piece of childhood. It turned a hospital dream into a real family adventure. And for that, we will always be grateful.”
