A Very Maya Christmas!
- dellanienash9
- Dec 28, 2025
- 2 min read
25th December 2025 — Christmas Day
Christmas Day was gentle but full of meaning. We were grateful for free pastries and coffees at the Lagoon Restaurant while Maya’s HCA stayed with her. Spread a Smile charity came to lift the mood, and Thomas the therapy dog brought some much-needed joy — animals really do have a special way of helping, don’t they.
I didn’t wake up but I soon realised that Santa was indeed sneaking in with presents for Maya, so Maya was spoilt with gifts from the hospital and little charities, which we are so thankful for. So much kindness from people we don’t even know.
We had Christmas dinner at the Lagoon Restaurant between 12 and 3. I was given the wrong information that parents would have had a sandwich lunchbox in exchange of the voucher. Instead we had either turkey or chicken leg but proper Christmas dinner and either Christmas pudding or Christmas Yule chocolate log for dessert!
Afterwards, Maya was hoisted into her tilted wheelchair. Daddy sat with her playing UNO while I washed her arms and legs, her hair and face, and made sure her skin was well moisturised. These are the moments that matter most — caring for her, being close, just being Mum and Dad.
Terry and I managed a short walk outside the hospital afterwards to get some fresh air and help digest Christmas dinner. We ended up chatting with another family whose baby girl was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma at just six weeks old. She’s eight months old now. Conversations like that really stay with you and remind you how fragile life is, and how connected families on this journey become.
The rest of the day was filled with gentle massage, silly jokes, and phone calls with family. In many ways, it really was a merry Maya Christmas.
Later on after 10pm, after Terry had gone back to the family accommodation (20-25 minute walk from GOSH), we heard a crash call echo through Lion Ward. It’s a horrible sound, and a harsh reminder of the reality of living on a children’s cancer ward.
Deep down, my heart aches that we couldn’t be with Jerome, Leon, Enzo, Lola, and the grannies today. That sadness sits alongside our gratitude.
We keep telling ourselves that there will be a proper “Maya Christmas” when Maya’s home — with the full works, crackers, noise, laughter, and love — whatever month that ends up being.
Above everything else, we end this day feeling grateful. Grateful that Maya is still here. Grateful for her strength, her grit, and her resilience. It would feel wrong not to shout about that.
Gratitude doesn’t take away the pain — it just reminds me that love is still here too.
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