rivers2cross

The news of the death of Monique Buckingham, known to so many of us as @thelifeofmique, is beyond devastating. This beautiful young person had her whole life in front of her, and my thoughts at this very sad time are with her parents, Paul and Anne, and all her family and friends. What Monique went through, most of us will never be able to fully comprehend, and yet throughout she remained the most lovely, inspirational, warm and kind person you could ever wish to meet and become friends with. Bowel cancer is the most cruel and awful disease. Monique did everything she could to not just stay alive, but also to raise awareness so that others might not have to go through what she did.

Like thousands of her followers, I’ve spent the last few years routing for this amazing lady on social media. At the beginning of this year, I was fortunate enough to meet Monique at Colchester Hospital. I had started selling the Life of Mique teddy bears to raise funds for the fund set up to pay for private treatments for Monique not available on the NHS. Anne had contacted me and between us we arranged a visit, which Monique was completely unaware about. When I entered her room Monique had to do a double take. We spent a wonderful couple of hours chatting, and Monique, her boyfriend and her parents made me feel incredibly welcome. Monique was just as you would imagine from how she came across on social media, just so lovely. I felt like I had known them all for ages. I think Monique’s post on Instagram after I had left sums things up way better than I ever could…

“This afternoon something simply magical happened. I had the pleasure and honour of meeting @timbodarv in person after he made the journey from Reading to come and surprise me with, of course, more of the absolutely amazing bears he has created in order to help raise funds for my GoFundMe. My parents helped plan today and made this moment happen alongside Tim, though I didn’t have a clue until he walked into my room! Even then it felt very surreal and I couldn’t place Tim at first purely as I never expected to meet him so soon, let alone for him to make the trip here to the hospital. To actually meet and be able to thank someone in person who continues to have such a positive impact on my journey is overwhelming and I am once again lost for words at the positivity he has brought to my life. Tim, I am still so blown away by your generosity and pure humbleness. You are so very genuine and down to earth and such a lovely person to chat with and I truly do feel honoured to have held that space with you today. Your dedication to charitable causes is paramount to changing lives all over the world. Please, if you haven’t already, go and give him a follow and check out his website ‘Rivers2Cross’, alongside @bowelbear. He deserves all the support and awareness he can get to continue helping to change lives for the better. What an amazing human you are @timbodarv and someone I’m very proud to call a friend”

As time has gone on since that visit, I have had time to reflect upon it. It really had a profound effect on me. Meeting Monique really helped me rediscover my reason and purpose, especially as far as the fundraising goes. It was a very humbling experience meeting someone with such a kind, positive and infectious personality doing everything possible simply to stay alive. If I could possess a fraction of those qualities Monique had, then I would have little to worry about x

RIP Monique Buckingham. Another young life taken by bowel cancer, which only goes to show once again that this awful disease takes far too many young lives and that anyone presenting with symptoms should not be discounted on account of being “too young” to get bowel cancer… Early detection of bowel cancer is key when it is still very treatable. Sadly, too many of the younger patients are still being diagnosed at the late stage 4 when treatment is more difficult and long-term survival statistics drop considerably. It makes me just more determined than ever to carry on doing what I am doing in raising awareness and funds for cancer. I really do have the easy part and my love and thoughts are with everyone going through cancer in any shape or form. It is my absolute privilege to meet so many wonderful souls like Monique xxx