A mother with terminal cancer described her diagnosis as a “death sentence,” but her first thought was for her children.

Sam, who lives with her husband Rob and their sons Herbie (five) and Mickey (three), was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2021. She was already in remission in March when she last spoke to BBC South about the financial impact of the illness.

But just a month later, Sam, from Poole in Dorset, learned that another cancer had affected her spine and bones.

Now the family is focused on creating positive memories, and Sam said it was her “dream” to take her children to Disneyland to give them “the greatest, most beautiful memory ever.”

She said it was “very difficult” to tell her children about her diagnosis.

“How do you explain to a five-year-old autistic child that mom has a disease that is going to kill her?” she said.

And she couldn’t explain it to her three-year-old, she said.

“You can just love them a little more,” she said.

Sam said she let her children cut her hair so they could feel like they had some control.

“I didn’t want them to wake up tomorrow and think, ‘Oh God, Mommy has no hair,'” she said.

Now the family has only one thing in mind: to have as much fun as possible and to give the children beautiful memories “that they can remember when I’m no longer here,” says Sam.

“Our biggest goal right now is to raise money to take her to Disneyland,” she said.

But time is “of the essence,” she said.

“The cancer in my spine is spreading,” she said.

“My bones are crumbling.

“I won’t be mobile much longer and I want to give them the best memories I can – and give them as much fun as possible with me.”