Venus's Story
At just 10 years old, Venus Hinds was diagnosed with a brain tumour after her family noticed she was struggling with her eyesight. Over the next two years, she underwent chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital—a gruelling journey that tested her strength and resilience.
The First Signs
During the COVID lockdown, Venus was home-schooled using a large-screen computer. At first, she occasionally struggled to see certain words and drawings. She would ask her dad to enlarge the images, but the pattern continued, and he couldn’t understand why. The changes became more noticeable during family walks with their dogs. When walking on her right-hand side, Venus kept a steady distance from her dad. But if she walked on the left, she would bump into him repeatedly.
Her dad would joke, “Why do you keep bumping into me?” and Venus, confused, would reply, “I didn’t even know I was.”
Unbeknown to them all, Venus was slowly losing sight in her right eye.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Concerned, the family pushed for an eye test, but lockdown restrictions delayed a face-to-face appointment. Meanwhile, Venus began experiencing headaches, adding to their growing fears.
Finally, in January 2021, she had an eye exam. The results were devastating:
- Some vision loss in her left eye.
- Severe vision loss in her right eye.
She was urgently referred for an MRI in London, which led them to Guy’s Hospital—where they received the heartbreaking diagnosis. Venus had a tumour behind her eye and needed immediate chemotherapy.
“We were in shock,” her dad recalls. “Everything felt surreal. Venus kept asking, ‘Why do I have to go back to London? Why do I need an operation?’ And as parents, we questioned ourselves—Had we missed the signs? Could we have caught this earlier? The guilt was overwhelming.”
The Challenges of Treatment
Venus embarked on an 85-week chemotherapy plan. The side effects were brutal.
- Extreme exhaustion—She would sleep endlessly, sometimes so deeply her parents feared she wouldn’t wake up.
- Severe nausea—After one dose, the side effects lingered until her next hospital visit, creating a never-ending cycle of illness.
- Isolation—With her immune system weakened, school and after-school clubs had to stop.
Venus missed her friends terribly. She wanted them to understand why she was absent, so she wrote a heartfelt letter for her teacher to read aloud in class. It was her way of staying connected, even when she couldn’t be there in person.
The Emotional Toll
One of the hardest moments came when Venus started losing her hair.
She had always loved her beautiful, thick afro. For weeks, it stayed strong, and her family dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t fall out.
Then one morning, Venus’s mum noticed thinning patches as she brushed her hair. Day by day, more strands fell out. She would wake up to clumps of hair on her pillow—a cruel reminder of what cancer was taking from her.
It was heartbreaking.
Venus also developed nightmares from the chemotherapy, making her afraid to sleep. This meant sleepless nights for the whole family, as they tried everything to comfort her through the fear.
Finding Comfort & Support
During this difficult time, Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund was a lifeline for Venus and her family.
- Respite breaks gave them a chance to escape and enjoy precious family time together.
- Theatre tickets & cuddly toys lifted Venus’s spirits when she needed it most.
- Books about wolves, her favourite animal, provided comfort and distraction.
“The support was invaluable,” her dad says. “Lennox helped us cope—not just with what we were facing, but with what was still to come.”
A Brighter Future
After two years of treatment, Venus has completed chemotherapy and is back at school.
She remains under the care of multiple hospitals, with regular MRI scans and visits to her ophthalmologist and optometrist. Her journey is far from over, but she continues to face each challenge with unbelievable courage.
How You Can Help
Jamie’s story is just one of many. Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund relies on donations, fundraising, and awareness campaigns to continue supporting families like Jamie’s. Your support can make a real difference in the lives of children battling cancer and their families.