When we met Martha in hospital  / Bridie Llewellyn (Friend)
Hi. My son george then 12 shared a room with martha in september 04 at frenchay, we only knew her for a few days but she left a lasting memory for us all. i stayed on the ward at night, and my husband went to the accomodation upstairs. and my main memory of martha was the way she told us her jokes, and when the doctors came to see her how she would say Go away and then add please. sometimes i heard her say i have had enough dont touch me thank you. she was a truly inspirational child, that we have talked about on many occasions but never knew what had happened to her, i dont usually buy thats life magazine but today i saw it on the shelf and bought it at first not recognising the little girl on the front cover, then i read your story and well tears were shed. i remember the day after my son had his brain tumour removed, and he was in intensive care we came back to the room to pick up up his belongings and i told you that it had all gone well, martha and ben were telling us jokes martha had a new money box and when my husband put money in she told us more. when you said you were allowed to go home because they were stopping her treatment i said good (not realising why they were stopping it ) that is something i felt so guilty about afterwards. on the 20th sept when George was undergoing surgery we spent some of the day waiting in the ward, family turned up to help us, and all four of them took to the little girl with the long hair who told jokes.(they were the words of my eldest son) when mike carter came to see us and told us the outcome we all left, and didnt really see much of martha for the rest of our stay. but we have never forgotten her, and i dont think we ever will. i am so pleased that i now know the rest of her story.God Bless and good luck to both Ben and yourself. we give money to frenchay for the brilliant work that they do in as many ways as we can. we were very lucky Georges tumour a ganglioglioma was not malignant and was removed successfully. he also had an encephalocele (where the brain herniates into the skull) which they constructed a titanium hammock type frame to protect it, he has annual mri and so far everything still looks ok. you had your precious daughter for only seven years yet she received and gave more love than many people who live to over a hundred i have just been back to the newsagents in banwell we want to send copies to some of the people we had told about your daughter. Thank you for telling your story by the way do you know the name of the best angel in heaven of course you do its MARTHA. love to you all Bridie and Clive llewellyn Close

Martha's visits  / Margaret (WRVS shop )
I wish Maggie good luck on her new website.I met Martha several times.She used to visit the W.R.V.S.shop in Frenchay Hospital where I work at weekends.Every time she came in she would tell us jokes and her face lit up with laughter.We miss her little visits.I hope Maggie`s good work can help someone in her position.Love Margaret.
Margaret, Bristol Close

My thoughts are with you  / Vikki George
"Its not how long a star shines, what is remembered is the brightness of the light"

Love viks
www.postpals.co.uk Close

What it's like for you now  / Maggie Mickshik (Mummy)
I would like to tell you how Martha gave me comfort during a dream after she died. 

Martha & I are sat in an empty classroom. Martha is cutting and sticking which she really enjoyed whilst she was alive and I was sitting next to her on one of the small classroom chairs. She was concentrating hard but I decided to ask her a question:
"Anyway, what's heaven like?"
Martha replied "It's full of mummies".

The next day I asked my son, aged 12, what he thought it meant. He said Martha must be thinking all the angels are mummies for her. I took a different angle; she and I were constant companions and she couldn't spend enough time with me, or if I wasn't around, she would adopt someone elses mummy. I thought Martha's idea of heaven would be a place that's full of mummies to love and look after her. 

It's so hard to think of her being cared for by anyone else, either in heaven or on earth.  I miss being her mummy and I will never stop missing her.
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Remembering a sweetie pie!  / Kerry Mather (friend)

When my son Aidan was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour in April 2005, we met Martha and Maggie in hospital.They were a constant source of inspiration to us and we all became firm friends.
Without Maggie and Marthas pragmatic view of life i would never have come to terms with Aidans inevitable fate.
Ihope that Martha and Ade are playing together in Heaven.

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Dear Little Sister  / Ben Mickshik (Big Bro )
Dear little sister,

Dear little sister
Where did you go?
Me, and everyone else you
knew
We all miss you so

Dear little sister
Where have you gone
I’ve looked all over the world
Apart from London

Dear little sister
I’m glad I realised
That you and me were brother and sister
We weren’t meant to fight

Dear little sister
I have a lock of your hair
But now the happiness has gone
Leaving me in despair.


In memory of my dear little
sister who died of a
brain tumour in May 2006
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How it feels for us when you can't talk  / Maggie Mickshik (Mum)

Go a head mention my child; the one that died
Dont worry about hurting me further
The depth of my pain doesnt show
Dont worry about making me cry
Im already crying inside
Help me to heal by releasing
The tears I try to hide
I'm hurt when you're silent
Pretending she didnt exist
Id rather you mention my child
Knowing that she is missed

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Birthday Memories 3rd February 2007  / Mum (Mum)
Today, February 3rd 2007, would have been Martha's 8th birthday.  She loved her birthday celebrations & would love having lots of "Siviters" (Martha-speak for visitors).

To celebrate her life & show our love for her I invited lots of friends & family to visit.  We took helium filled yellow balloons to the top of Glastonbury Tor where we let them go with cards, wishes or thoughts attached. 

Some of Martha's best school friends came with us, together with lots of friends children.  They had a lovely time watching the balloons and chasing them as they flew up into the clear blue sky.  We could see them as they floated out for miles, then they disappeared out of sight, except for 1 which had a shiny card attached from Julie Billing, Martha's childminder and the only person in the world who could get her to eat all her dinner!  Julie's card caught the sun as it twisted & turned in the breeze, looking like a distant lighthouse flashing intermittently.

It was a fitting tribute to her birthday and a joyful occasion.  We hope to repeat it again next year with more balloons & friends. Close

Good to catch up  / Kym Miller (Mum's colleague )
Hey Maggie it was really good to catch up with you on Monday. I enjoyed talking with you and you telling me all about Martha. I cant imagine how life feels for you at the moment and its scary to try. I did feel kind of guilty telling you about my insignificant troubles when you are learning to live without Martha. You seemed calm, peaceful (although that sounds so inappropriate and the wrong words to say) philosophical and momentarily there was a small sparkle in you (when you showed me Martha on your phone and the charity stuff) and I really got the feeling that your beautiful and resilient little girl has left you with a 'little gift' - it was wonderful to see what you have been ploughing your energy into and believe that the hard work already achieved and ahead of you with MarthaCare will be fruitful and positive for so many including yourself. Keep going, much love Kym Close