Wish stories

At just nine years old, Poppy is wise beyond her years. An aspiring artist, Poppy looks up to the works of David Hockney, Jean Michel Basquiat, Henri Matisse, Yayoi Kusama, Jackson Pollock, and Banksy. Art has often provided her with a sense of escape and freedom - a place where her imagination can explore multiple possibilities. A sudden leukaemia diagnosis turned Poppy’s life upside-down, but art “took her out of the hospital room and into her imagination,” as mum Stephanie told us. Her wish to have her own art exhibition has helped her confidence flourish, aiding her as she begins to process her time spent in hospital undergoing treatment.

“It was such a shock, everything happened so quickly,” explained Mum. Up until the age of three, Poppy was a healthy and active child. But when Poppy couldn’t walk during a nursery field trip, her parents knew that something wasn’t quite right: “She had always been a healthy child. It was the first time that she had been ill as a toddler.”

When Poppy’s condition didn’t improve, dad Graham, a nurse, knew they needed to take Poppy to an out-of-hours clinic. But little did Poppy’s parents know that once they left their home that day, they wouldn’t return for another three weeks:

“After looking at her blood they knew something significant was going on and sent us to another hospital for further tests. It became a whirlwind. It all happened before she fell seriously ill, so we never really had time to consider that it would be serious.”

No parent wishes to hear that their child may have leukaemia, but for Graham and Stephanie, the thought that their normally healthy toddler may have cancer was almost impossible to comprehend. As Mum explained, “The first night we were in the hospital a nurse mentioned that it could be leukaemia, I remember wincing at the sound of it. I couldn’t contemplate the thought of it becoming reality at that stage.”

The reality of their daughter's condition quickly sprung upon her parents when further tests confirmed that Poppy had leukaemia. “It completely changed our lives overnight,” said Mum. For Poppy, being diagnosed with cancer at such a young age shaped family life for the next two and a half years. Instead of attending toddler groups and getting to know the children she’d go to school with, Poppy spent most of each week in hospital, alongside her little sister, Daisy, and both parents where possible.

“It became our whole life. Everything we did centred around hospital appointments and unexpected temperatures. Family time together became even more important and where possible, we tried to keep the girls together so they wouldn’t grow up separated from each other. So many of our memories are of the girls painting and creating together in hospital. The health team and Play Specialists were incredible at facilitating that.” said Mum.

Following the completion of her treatment and a period of shielding, Poppy returned to school. But what surprised her parents was how hard their daughter found it to adjust to life without the hospital: “Hospital had mostly been a positive experience for Poppy. Full of special people who lit up the room; she missed them and it unsettled her for a while. She started to process that what had happened to her hadn't happened to everyone else. Everything she had known had changed and it was really hard for her to talk about how she was feeling.”

When Poppy struggled to process her formative years spent in hospital, the world of art provided a place to turn to - one where she had a calm space to create and gently express her vibrant imagination.

“She has always loved art and creating, I don't remember a time when she didn't. She always took to it. Her nursery always had free access to materials and paints,” explained Mum.

After receiving her diagnosis, her love for art offered support to Poppy, providing a reassuring constant in a world with lots of unexpected events.

In hospital, Poppy would often paint, asking the Play Specialists for ceramics and materials to work with. “When she was a bit older, I asked her why she liked painting. She said that painting is something that you can do anywhere, even in a hospital room. It took her out of the hospital room and into her imagination, which helped pass long hours.”

Now post-treatment, Poppy’s love for art has only grown stronger. When Poppy isn’t busy at school or her art club, she loves visiting exhibitions, her favourites being Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Rooms at The Tate Modern and David Hockney 'Bigger & Closer (not smaller and further away)' at The Lightroom.

For the young artist, art provides freedom to create for everyone, regardless of their situation. As Mum explained: “When she talks about her painting she doesn't plan, she enjoys the process of experimenting. Anyone can paint, you don't always need a lot of materials, so it’s inclusive and that's why she loves it. “

For Poppy deciding what her wish would be offered her something positive to look forward to. The hope of an uplifting experience marked the end of her treatment. As Mum explained, “The wish discovery was amazing! The volunteer who helped her choose her wish spoke about all her passions, books, and art! But Poppy has always been quite content, she never really asks for anything.”

Selfless Poppy decided that if she were to have a wish, she would like it to be something that would impact everyone, and sharing her art would provide an experience for everyone to enjoy: “She’s caring and always thinks of others, so she wanted to make something she could share with other people that they could enjoy.” It was no surprise that through her caring and creative nature, she chose to hold her own art exhibition for her wish!

In the lead up to her wish, Poppy spent time producing pieces of art for her gallery. Poppy gained a wealth of experience whilst painting with Ben Lowe, Chantal Joffe, and Hannah Shergold: “Within minutes of being in their studios she was pouring paint onto canvases. There was no sign of any nerves - she just saw the whole process as fun and creative. Whilst painting with Ben, Chantal, and Hannah, we’ve watched her confidence grow - something she lost after treatment.”

On the 18th of May, Poppy and an array of guests, including Princess Beatrice, came together for the grand opening of her art exhibition at the world-renowned auction house Christie's. The showcase remained open for members of the public to enjoy until the 23rd of May.

Poppy carefully planned and curated her exhibition with the help of her new artistic mentors and Make-A-Wish patron Batia Ofer. The exhibition boasted 28 of Poppy’s amazing paintings featuring her unique and colourful style. In addition to her paintings, a wonderful chandelier-like display of her Beads of Courage was featured to demonstrate her cancer journey, with every bead representing a hospital visit, overnight stay, or form of treatment.

Poppy has experienced a lot in her young life. Adapting to life without hospital was daunting after it played such a key part in her life for several years. Discovering who she was without her illness was a challenging adjustment for the whole family. But through her wish, Poppy has found confidence in herself again.

When discussing the impact of Poppy’s wish, Mum and Dad told us, “She's grown through the process of designing her wish. We are so thankful to everyone involved, it feels like a huge weight from treatment has been lifted and we are all feeling lighter from it.””

The wish has marked a time in her life when Poppy can truly be herself, as she delves into a world of art and imagination. As Mum and Dad expressed “It's was all so carefully selected, and was all about Poppy. By working with these artists, she had the space and freedom to create.”