Help me give the gift of time...

As his only child, Dad and I have always been close, despite my parents separating when I was a toddler. Dad was the guy who always fed me whatever I asked for, took me on adventures, let me get up to no good, and let me stay up late. He was the good cop, and always spoilt his little girl.

And when I moved to New Zealand in my early twenties, Dad had no hesitation in making the long trip over every year, without fail. On one of those trips, we both experienced the tragic Christchurch Earthquakes of February 2011, an event which heavily affected us both, but especially Dad. He never quite got over the trauma of it.

Last year, in August 2018, we lost my Nan, his Mum at the grand old age of 97, and again, Dad hasn't been able to cope well with this loss. I was able to travel back to the UK to stand and support my Dad during this time.

His health has been on the decline ever since, with the first big blow was him suffering a stroke on Christmas Day 2018. This was such a scary time for us, and I once again, was fortunate enough to be able to travel back to the UK to support him.

Initially, his recovery was good, but he never got back to 100%, and today, 19th June 2019, Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, which has spread to his liver. It is a terminal diagnosis, and he may have less than 2 months left.

And so, I am facing the reality of having to head back to the UK for the third time in a year, leaving behind my partner, our cats, our house, and my job. I don't know how long I'll need to spend over there, but the financial burden is going to be heavy, especially on top of the two trips I have already been on.

It's a horrible situation to be in, being my Dad's only next of kin, and living on the other side of the world, but I have to go and be with him.

Any support of any kind means so much to me.

Thank you xxx