25
Nov
Mother of Harrogate teen Liz Hatton talks life since daughter's death
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Two years ago, Harrogate's Liz Hatton was a regular 16-year-old; she enjoyed school, spending time with her friends and, according to her mum, had the immune system of an ox.
Life for her family was, by many people's standards, normal.
But all that changed in February last year, when Liz was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumour (DSRCT) – an aggressive sarcoma so rare only 12 cases are recorded each year.
With little research into the condition, no specific treatments and poor survival rates, the prognosis was bleak from the outset.
In that moment, life for the Hattons changed forever and just 10 months later, on November 27, Liz died aged 17.
One year on, the Stray Ferret spoke to Victoria about life without her daughter and her subsequent work to create a dedicated DSRCT charity.
“It feels simultaneously yesterday and forever ago. It’s hard to believe it’s been a full year since we saw her and she was here, but it feels like a lifetime since life was normal”, Victoria says. She adds:
Going out for meals is really hard because there are four seats at the table. Going on holiday there will be four beds, but you don’t have your fourth person anymore.
There’s always a gaping hole… there's always a gap and there will always be a gap. But we work very hard to try and make sure that gap is as invisible to Mateo as possible. That’s what parents do.
Harrogate Grammar School pupil Liz was a hugely talented photographer and, in the lead up to her death, Victoria published her daughter's photography bucket-list on social media.
It’s difficult to overstate how viral that post went; Liz went on to photograph some of the world’s most famous faces, including recipients of awards at an investiture at Windsor Castle - where she met the Prince and Princess of Wales – comedian Michael McIntyre, The Royal Ballet, models and Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK contestants.
Her inspiring story touched the hearts of millions. But what is life without Liz like for those who knew her?
Tearfully, Victoria said:
I miss everything about her. Everything. Her bravery, the way she shared her love with everybody. She was the best friend to her friends and the most amazing big sister. Everything.
Liz Hatton and her family at ITV's studios last year. Photo: ITV
Charity launched
To deal with the grief, Victoria stays as busy as possible. But between taking Mateo - Liz's younger brother – to swimming lessons and choir practice at Ripon Cathedral, Victoria and her family have devoted their time to launching Capture Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumour Charity to ensure no other family shares their experience.
Victoria said:
Capture is a charity for those with DSRCT and their families. Our primary purpose so far has been to fund research. We have funded our first project, which is being done in conjunction with the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group and York University.
That’ll hopefully start in February… they will start finding all the information [on the condition] and putting it all together.
Through various fundraising events, Capture has also raised enough money to fund two further research projects: one on the side effects of DSRCT and one on treatments for those side effects.
Victoria believes around £145,000 has been raised in total. You can donate to Capture's latest fundraising appeal by clicking here.
Following diagnosis, Victoria said Capture sends families affected by DSRCT a care package to tell them: "we’ve got you… there’s someone fighting for you”.
She added:
Our website is also almost ready and we’ve been finding patient stories... We felt it was really important from the get-go that [Capture] is everyone’s story.
We’ve got a young man who is a firefighter in the US who is now in remission. He’s back firefighting. But there’s a real mix: some people who were misdiagnosed or didn’t know until it was too late because it’s so rare.
Sir Mark Cavendish receiving his knighthood from Prince William in the investiture room at Buckingham Palace. Credit: Liz Hatton
When the Stray Ferret asked Victoria if there has been a stand-out moment since Capture was born, she said:
It would have to be the day we were contacted by a family who said they’d had a diagnosis the day before. It was a weekend, and they said they couldn’t talk to anybody and asked to ring us.
[When Liz was diagnosed] we were scrolling and scrolling, thinking: ‘Where can we find some information? Where can we find someone?’. But that made me think we’re doing the right thing… it’s a way of bringing together a community that’s never had that before, and that feels really important.
What Victoria and the Capture team have achieved in the face of such grief is remarkable, but she feels there is still a long way to go:
It really has kept me going and it’s given us something to focus on that’s positive.
But what I find the hardest is when an advert comes on the TV and kind of says, ‘we’re beating cancer’. I’m like: ‘no, you’re not… there are actually lots of smaller cancers like DSRCT with rubbish survival rates that no one talks about’. It gives people a false sense of security.
I remember when Liz was first diagnosed saying to Aaron [Victoria’s husband]: ‘People survive cancer now, she’s got this, she is really strong.' I had no concept at all that cancers like this existed.
‘No one will ever feel quite as alone as we felt’
Victoria said Liz was fiercely passionate about making the world a better place and would be pleased to see a glimmer of hope for the families affected by DSRCT.
She added:
I think she’d be pleased about the research. She really cared about research and making things better – she was involved in research projects herself – and I think she’d be glad there’s going to be more hope.
No one will ever feel quite as alone as we felt and that has to be a win. I think she would’ve felt that was a win.
Liz’s story made local and national headlines, and people from across the country rallied behind her in her final months.
Expressing her gratitude to local people, Victoria told the Stray Ferret:
Thank you to everybody and [the people of] Harrogate. People have really got behind us from the beginning and we couldn’t have done it if people hadn’t been so helpful and shown up to events and donated. Even just sharing and liking posts makes a big difference.
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