Sparks and Daughters Launch a new personalised gift, with all profits going to Maggie’s Cancer Charity, to give loved ones the strength and support they need during and beyond cancer treatment.

Deborah's Story

In 2007, Sparks and Daughters founder Deborah, otherwise known as Nanna Sparks, made the big decision to quit her job, to pursue her dream of setting up her own business. She wanted to find a way to make a living from her love of being creative and turned the attic in her home into a workspace where she began designing and creating the very first Sparks and Daughters gifts. Only a matter of months later in May 2008, Deborah was diagnosed with stage 3 aggressive breast cancer. Naturally, this caused Deborah enormous worry, that she would be robbed of the opportunities she’d built for herself and often wondered if she'd lose everything she'd worked for.

With the help of her family, Deborah kept the business running throughout her treatment and found the time she spent painting and drawing to be or huge benefit to her fight, giving her strength to keep focused on her eventual recovery.

“Sharing the news with family and friends was hard but it's something you can't fight alone. Having that support network was vital to get me through the tough days. With their love and support, I was able to stay positive and I believe it was important to my recovery. It takes someone very special to walk that path with you and I am so lucky to have some truly wonderful people in my life” - Deborah

Deborah’s treatment consisted of chemotherapy at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, followed by a mastectomy. She also received radiotherapy treatment in Bristol, a 100-mile round trip, as at the time this was not available locally. Today, there is The Beacon Centre in Taunton, a brand-new oncology centre at the hospital enabling radiotherapy to be carried out in her hometown and this wouldn't have been possible without fundraising.

"The opening of The Beacon Centre has enabled me to see the difference fundraising makes, as sources for help, support and treatment in your local community can have a really positive impact upon a person's recovery from Cancer." - Deborah

Sparks and Daughters - Supporting Maggies

Maggie’s provides free practical, emotional and social support to people with cancer and their family and friends, following the ideas about cancer care originally laid out by Maggie Keswick Jencks. Built in the grounds of NHS cancer hospitals, Maggie’s Centres are places with professional staff on hand to offer the support people need. Centres are places to find practical advice about benefits and eating well; places where qualified experts provide emotional support; places to meet other people; places where you can simply sit quietly with a cup of tea.

"A Maggies centre would have been really helpful to go to for extra emotional support and for advice on managing my bills and sources of financial support. My family and friends were the only source of emotional support at the time and they were wonderful, but I didn't want to overwhelm them with my worries. It would have been great to speak to people with personal experience of fighting cancer or with the right kind of training to be able to help and the opportunity to speak to someone I wasn't emotionally involved with would have meant I could have no fear in really opening up about how I felt." - Deborah

There are many Maggie’s centres established across the UK with several planned centres yet to open, including one in Deborah’s hometown of Taunton, where Sparks and Daughters is based. Maggie’s is currently raising and securing funds to open the Taunton centre and because of her own personal experience, Deborah wanted to contribute.

The Personalised Message of Strength Linen Scarf

Inspired by the 10 year anniversary of her cancer diagnosis and by the love and support she received from her own friends and family, Deborah created the Personalised Message of Strength Linen Scarf. All profits raised from every scarf sold by Sparks and Daughters will be donated to Maggie’s.

“I want everyone facing their own cancer journey to feel loved and encouraged so that they have the strength to make it through the tough days and celebrate the good days. This scarf is a way to wrap yourself up in a loving hug or clothe yourself in strength and can be given as a gift or even purchased for yourself, with a message of inspiration and affirmation.” - Deborah