A young woman from Hull who was diagnosed with cancer just weeks after completing her degree has had a special graduation ceremony in hospital.
Lilli Hales, 20, had already bought her graduation dress and was looking forward to officially marking the end of her studies at the University of Hull with family and friends.
But towards the end of June, Lilli was admitted to Ward 33, the Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Unit at Castle Hill Hospital, after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
It was here she met Charlene Kent, who has worked as the TYA Unit’s Youth Support Coordinator for the past seven-and-a-half years. In her time, Charlene has supported hundreds of young people and their families through one of the toughest challenges life can throw at them.
Lilli continues:
“Missing my graduation ceremony wasn’t part of the plan; it’s disappointing not to be there in person with my friends to celebrate, but when I mentioned I was due to graduate this summer to Charlene, straight away she told me, ‘we’ll make this happen’.”
And in something akin to DIY SOS, Charlene was off, making phone calls, pulling in favours and putting plans in place to ensure Lilli could still enjoy her most special of days, donning cap and gown, scroll in hand, surrounded by the people she loves.
Charlene says:
“When Lilli told me she was due to graduate in a couple of weeks’ time, I just had to make sure she didn’t miss out. She’s studied for years, graduating is a rite of passage, and she deserves the chance to celebrate like everyone else. And while she might not be well enough to leave hospital and be there in person, we wanted to make sure that her illness didn’t stop her from marking such a special occasion in life.”
Charlene and Lilli’s parents, Tracy and David, have been busy organising everything a girl could possibly need to graduate, from balloons and a marquee in the hospital grounds to celebration cakes and a photographer. They arranged for the university’s graduation ceremony to be live streamed at Castle Hill Hospital and for Lilli to join online via Zoom. And to top things off, colleagues at the University of Hull arranged for a cap and gown to be sent over for Lilli to wear on the day, with relatives from as far afield as the Netherlands, and her week-old niece, joining her for the occasion.
Lilli says:
“What Charlene, the hospital team and my family have done for me today is nothing short of amazing. The decorations, the live stream, the cap and gown; it means I’m not missing out, and I still get to celebrate with my loved ones.”
