Family and Fashion: Make-over magic for a special daughter Lucy Broadbent

Jun 16 2010 by Hilarie Stelfox, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

WHEN Lucy Broadbent was just three years old doctors told her parents she had only weeks to live.

She was suffering from Neuroblastoma, a rare type of cancer that mainly affects young children.

But Lucy clung onto life. After more than a year of gruelling chemotherapy – as well as surgery to remove a tumour attached to her right kidney – she proved everyone wrong and has continued proving that even the worst prognosis can be beaten.

This summer Lucy, who recently became engaged, will be celebrating her 30th birthday.

Her mum, Helen Broadbent, says that medical staff were astonished by Lucy’s survival.

“They said she was a miracle,’’ she said.

“But it was a terrible ordeal for everyone. We spent more than a year in and out of hospital and at the time Lucy’s twin brothers – a year younger than her – were still babies. It was a tough time.”

In fact, Lucy has gone on to live a normal life. She studied at Greenhead College and then later at Northampton University. Today she lives in Honley with her fiance Richard Jones, a director of website company Fantastic Media, and works as a forensic occupational therapist at Wath-upon-Dearne Medium Secure Unit for Men in Rotherham.

But her story doesn’t end there.

Back in November 2009 Lucy was involved in a serious road crash which left her with facial and other injuries. Six weeks ago she had an operation to repair her nose and is still having physiotherapy for a shoulder injury. Her car was a write off and her confidence severely shaken.

When Helen saw our competition for a spring makeover with clothes from the new Mint Velvet concession in House of Fraser, Kingsgate, she immediately thought of her daughter.

Helen, who lives in Netherton with husband Stephen, said: “She has been through such a lot in her life that I thought she deserved something special.”