For a lot of 21-year-old women, a trip to the spa or cinema are just another way to spend your weekend with friends, but for one girl, they are on her bucket list as her dying wishes.
Stephanie Knight from Hertfordshire in England has been bravely battling cancer since she was 17 years old but discovered at the beginning of January that her condition is now terminal.
Always a positive person, Stephanie decided to draw up a list of things she would like to do in her last few months.
The list is made up of some usual requests, and some rather unusual requests.
One wish is to hold a fake wedding for herself.
“She has always wanted to get married and have lots of babies but has found it hard to have a partner while undergoing treatment, despite being a very pretty girl,” her sister told the Daily Mail.
“She wants to at least have tried on dresses and had a hen do before she goes. It doesn’t matter that it’s not for real.”
But that’s counted as an “unusual request”, some of the others are things every 21-year-old girl should be able to do in life.
Stephanie would like to finish her third-level course and qualify as a nursery nurse, she also said she wants to enjoy a normal “drunken” night in a pub.
Stephanie before she was diagnosed with the rare cancer.
“Steph is such a selfless person. For her it’s more about memories for us as well as fun experiences for herself.
“She wants us to have good memories of her rather than all the hospital memories,” Steph’s sister Rachel said.
Stephanie responded well to 10 rounds of chemotherapy and three lots of radiotherapy in the first year of her cancer and went into remission in October 2010. But just as Stephanie and her family were hoping she had turned the corner, they discovered the soft-tissue cancer has returned. She started chemotherapy again last April but this time it failed to work.
“She has spent so much time in hospital and she feels that she has wasted it. She is determined not to waste any more time,” Rachel said.
Stephanie was inspired by other young cancer-sufferers to draw up a bucket list.
Aside from the list, Stephanie also plans to set up a local charity named Steph’s Wishes to help teenagers suffering from cancer by providing essential equipment for rehabilitation.
What a brave, courageous young woman.
This is Stephanie’s list:
To go on a holiday with all my family, where we can all be together and be alone, with dogs
Go to the sea side, 2p machines with friends and family esp Nieces and nephews
To jump out of an aeroplane strapped to an instructor
Complete my childcare qualification
To laugh until I cry or my body hurts
Watching the sunset in the most beautiful of places
To watch Britain got talent and meet Amanda again
To have spa days and a girls spa weekend
To have a hen night
To make someone’s cancer experience slightly happier to get through
Take my sister niece and mum to see Wicked at the theatre
Big shopping spree
Afternoon tea
Cocktail nights
To get my sister to be able to meet Gary Barlow or Robbie Williams
Make full use of cinema card (stop wasting money lol)
‘Normal’ drunken night at the pub
Fireworks
To be able to drive again
Be able to go to work
To meet Dynamo (the street magician)
Concerts
To have a shopping centre all too ourselves me – the family – and friends
Posh sleep over – big house – catered food – cinema room – beautician – comfy beds lol
Comedy night, Russell Howard would be great
To learn to sword cork
Spend a stress free family day
To eat really lovely food
Walk the dogs, dogs need training (HELP)
All inclusive 5* Holiday
OPI nail varnish all different colours and shades and files, really too have the ultimate nail kit
To meet Kate & Prince William
For me and my dad to meet the Manchester united team
For me, my brother, brother-in-law and sister to meet the Tottenham hotspur team
Take to many movies and laugh a lot
