Episode 2

Natalie’s back at college, still nervous and still adjusting to being a student after decades out of the classroom.

In the lab, she gets stuck into hands-on learning about childhood illnesses. Under the microscope, conditions she’s never seen before suddenly come to life. A simple hygiene exercise shows how much can be missed, even when you think you’ve done everything right.

Before her placement, Natalie meets up with her friend Abi. Natalie’s youngest, Joni, and Abi’s daughter Arianna are best friends from school. Abi talks about her experience of having a child with cancer and the support they’ve received from community nursing teams - how they were there for the whole family, not just the medical side. Natalie listens closely and takes that insight with her to her placement.

In Watford, she joins a children’s community nursing team, shadowing nurse Charlotte across clinics and home visits. She meets Iris, her twin sister and their mum as they manage childhood leukaemia day to day. Natalie sees how care continues outside hospital - into homes, routines and family life.

She’s also faced with a personal challenge. Needles have always been a big fear. Being around children who go through regular procedures pushes her to confront that with the support of Charlotte and her team.
Alongside Natalie’s journey, we meet a family in Northern Ireland, where therapy dog Henry Wee Wheels is supporting children with long-term illness in remarkable ways. We meet Mollie and her mum, and hear how Henry has helped her find her voice again after her own cancer journey.

By the end of the week, Natalie is starting to see things differently - how care works in practice and the difference it makes to families every day.