Hannah Aurora, who had retinoblastoma, along with her father and beloved guide dog Wendy, featured on BBC One’s The Repair Shop in October (Series 14: Episode 25).
Her Grandfather’s cherished grandfather clock, which is over 100 years old, remained in a corner of her family home badly damaged for 15 years. It sadly got damaged in transit from India to the UK when her grandfather passed away in 2010.
“When I was born and diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma in the 90s, life for my family revolved around caring for me and ensuring I received the treatment I needed as my cancer was diagnosed at quite an advanced stage and I required a lot of treatment…”
“…The last time my father saw my grandad was in 2005, and he passed away in 2010. My father arranged for the clock to be sent to him following his passing and was devastated when it arrived so badly damaged.”
“My family and I would watch The Repair Shop together and my mother suggested I apply for the show as a last attempt to try and get the heirloom clock fixed as nobody we reached out to was able to help. I reluctantly submitted the online application — you never think you’ll get chosen for a show that popular where they probably have so many applicants. To my surprise a couple months later I was contacted by the team and they wanted us to feature on the show.”
“The team were so caring and thoughtful – my cancer journey was a big part of our family’s story and the team really supported me in sharing that in a comfortable but impactful way.”
“Being on the set was a surreal experience, and they really did look after our treasured heirloom clock with so much care and love.”
“Coming back for the reveal was a very exciting time for us. My father was quite nervous, as he couldn’t quite believe anyone would ever be able to fix it. They did an incredible job and being able to see, hear, and feel the clock properly for the first time was an unforgettable moment for me.”
“My guide dog Wendy really enjoyed being on set as she got lots of attention and got to spend the day in the countryside.”
A huge thank you to Hannah and her dad for raising such wonderful awareness of retinoblastoma. You can watch Hannah’s episode on BBC iPlayer.