A FLINTSHIRE family have shared the emotional moment they were able to mark the end of their loved ones cancer treatment.

Helen Gibbons returned to her home in Mostyn after battling a rare form of breast cancer since late October but was unable to have her family at hospital to ring the bell and signal the end of her painful ordeal due to the current coronavirus concerns.

Instead, her family surprised Helen – who is one of six children – by meeting her at home whilst complying with social distancing with a bell that she could ring outside her home.

Speaking to the Leader, Helen said: “I was not expecting it whatsoever, you can tell as I was in my scruffs! I was quite happy to wait, it was hard walking past the bell though, but I could not ring it without my dad.

“I wanted him by my side because he has been by my side since this all began. He has been with me to every single appointment. I have had a few bad days along the way, don’t get me wrong, but when I first found out about it all it was dad that brought me out of it. It wouldn’t have been right to ring that bell without him.”

The Leader:

Helen Gibbons

Helen explained that she felt a lump in her breast and didn’t tell anyone about it for weeks until the lump grew, and Helen suffered with sickness. She asked a work colleague to help her double check and examine the lump

She was at the doctors the next day and placed on a two-week urgent referral before being diagnosed with papillary – a rare form of breast cancer.

After an operation and course of treatment at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Helen was able to return home and was overwhelmed by the family’s gesture.

The emotional moment was captured on video by her sister Gemma.

She told the Leader: “The cancer has had a massive effect on the whole family – it was just devastating. We have all been very supportive for Helen, trying our best to be there for her throughout it all.”

Gemma said that what her sister wanted more than anything was for him to be there at the end when she could ring the bell at the end of her treatment, but this was not possible due to the pandemic.

“We would not have been allowed into the hospital which we understand completely – but it doesn’t make it any less upsetting,” Gemma said.

“Ringing the bell is something that Helen really wanted to do. She arranged with the hospital to come back and do it at a later date if possible as she refused to ring it on her own.”

She said that to surprise Helen she put out an appeal asking her neighbours if anyone had a bell they could spare to create the moment her sister had missed out on. The family then arranged to meet up at Gemma’s house to pull off the surprise.

Joined by her close family – including parents, siblings, nieces and nephews – Gemma got to ring the bell with her dad and everyone she loves.

Helen also gave major praise to the NHS staff that helped to save her life when speaking to the Leader.

She said: “The coronavirus first kicked in around the time of my first treatment and there was strictly nobody allowed in with me.

“It is a very scary thing knowing that virus is out there and the doctors and nurses when I first went in had very little to no PPE and they were willing to put their lives on the line to help people like myself. Everyone made me feel so at ease with it all and I’m forever grateful.”