As you frantically prepare for the upcoming festivities and do your utmost to create the perfect Yuletide season for you and yours, be sure to spare a thought for one mum who may be facing into her final Christmas with her six children.
Kate King, who was just 40-years-old when she was diagnosed with cancer in December of last year, has embarked on an emergency fundraising appeal in order to provide her children with a Christmas to remember next month.
Kate, who has been forced to give up work in order to undergo extensive chemotherapy treatment, is appealing to the public for donations which will help the struggling family to cover costs as they prepare for December 25th.
Kate, whose husband Richard was also compelled to give up work in order to support his wife, is eager to explain the motivation behind her appeal and insists it is born out of necessity, saying: "It isn't about material things, it is just about being together as a family and enjoying time together, that is really what is most important."
Determined to make the festive season as enjoyable as possible with the help of the public, Kate, who was informed her cancer was 'untreatable' on November 11th, explained: "We're are focusing on making this Christmas as safe and as calm and secure for the children as possible."
With admirable courage, the mum-of-six offers a pragmatic approach to her situation, simply saying: "I'm working now to give my family a stable future because this may be the last Christmas we spend as a whole family unit."
Explaining the impact the public's contribution will have on her upcoming preparations, she said: "It's for food and rent. It's not for luxuries. Having people supporting us with their donations means that we can enjoy Christmas as a family unit and actually be able to enjoy being together."
Kate, who lost her seventh child after being diagnosed with cancer, wants to enjoy the festive season with her husband and children before she succumbs to the disease, asserting: "There's too many tumours for them to hope to shrink them. It's a matter of holding it back for as long as possible."
If you would like to help Kate and her family, you can do so here.
