The Angels in the UCLH Canteen

In the midst of our journey through Proton Beam Therapy at UCLH, we've discovered something truly special – the remarkable ladies who work in the hospital canteen. Every single morning, after Aleks finishes his PBT session, we make our way down to the canteen for breakfast, and every single morning, we're greeted by the same warm, genuine smiles.

More Than Just Breakfast

It might seem like a small thing – staff members being friendly at work. But when you're in the thick of cancer treatment, when mornings start with taking your six-year-old for radiotherapy, when the weight of everything can feel overwhelming, those smiles mean the world.

The ladies in the canteen are absolutely amazing. Always cheerful, always chatty, always in an upbeat mood. They've got this gift of making everyone feel welcome, of brightening what can be incredibly difficult days. They don't just serve food – they serve compassion, normality, and kindness when it's needed most.

Aleks's Morning Ritual

Every morning, Aleks marches up to the counter with the confidence only a six-year-old can muster and places his order. It's become his little ritual, and he's got it down to a fine art:

"Can I have two sausages, two bacons, one egg and some ketchup, please."

Sometimes he'll add a bit of beans to the order. Sometimes he'll ask for a little juice instead of water. But those two sausages, two bacons, one egg, and ketchup? That's non-negotiable. That's his breakfast, and he knows exactly what he wants.

The way the canteen staff respond to him – with patience, with warmth, with genuine interest – it makes such a difference. They treat him like the special little person he is, not like just another patient. They remember him, they chat with him, they make him feel normal when so much of his life right now is anything but normal.

The Power of a Smile

I know the canteen staff probably don't realise quite how much their kindness means to us. They're just doing their jobs, being themselves, treating people well. But for families going through what we're going through, that consistent warmth and positivity is like medicine.

Regardless of how tough a PBT session has been on any given day – whether Aleks has struggled with staying still, whether he's feeling tired, whether the whole thing has been emotionally draining for all of us – those smiles in the canteen set us up positively for the rest of the day.

It's a reminder that we're not alone. That there are good people everywhere, caring people who might not be directly involved in Aleks's medical treatment but who are absolutely part of his healing journey.

Our Heartfelt Thanks

We want to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to all the wonderful ladies who work in the UCLH canteen. You might think you're just serving breakfast, but you're doing so much more than that.

You're providing a moment of normality in a very abnormal situation. You're giving Aleks something to look forward to after his treatment. You're reminding us that kindness is everywhere, even – especially – in hospitals.

Your lovely smiles, your friendly chats, your genuine warmth – it all makes a real difference. More than you probably know.

The Little Things

Cancer treatment is hard. It's exhausting, it's frightening, it's relentless. But it's also full of these moments of unexpected grace – people who show up with kindness, who make difficult days a little bit easier, who remind you that there's still good in the world.

The UCLH canteen ladies are absolutely part of that. They're part of Aleks's treatment team in their own way, not because they're delivering radiotherapy or administering medication, but because they're delivering exactly what we need in those moments after treatment – warmth, normality, and a really good breakfast with two sausages, two bacons, one egg, and ketchup.

Thank you for looking after Aleks – and us – every single morning with those lovely smiles on your faces. You're angels, truly. 💛