I'm a single mum fighting breast cancer

The Waiting Room - a single parent's unflinching account of living with breast cancer. When Victoria Mapplebeck was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided to record each step of her journey from diagnosis to recovery. Shot on an iPhone X, Victoria filmed her time in waiting rooms, surgery and chemotherapy. The Waiting Room is an unflinching portrait of the blood, sweat and tears of cancer treatment. Victoria makes visible the often invisible parts of cancer treatment, the sickness, the fatigue, the tears and the hair loss. At home she filmed with her teenage son, as they came to terms with how single parent family life was transformed by a year of living with cancer.
Victoria documents cancer from a patient’s POV, exploring what we can and what we can’t control when our bodies fail us. We have made cancer our enemy, a dark force to be fought by a relentlessly upbeat attitude. The Waiting Room is the antidote to the ‘tyranny of positive thinking’. It challenges the cultural myths that surround this disease, putting under the microscope the language of illness.
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[@lyndseyreed949]

Her son...wow, what an amazing, wonderful kid. I hope he's doing okay.

[@dominiquecote1838]

That boy will be ok . He expresses how he feels . He interacts with his mom . My son just shut off and he was 13 when I was originally diagnosed.

[@saroman325moon2]

are you doing any better Dominique🥰🥰

[@triniecenorville1250]

Thank you for sharing your raw and uncut story. My heart breaks for you as a mother. I pray that you and your son are both doing well 🙏🏽

[@mmmk1616]

What a beautiful film. What breaks my heart is when her son talks about killing himself if she dies, that would be 2 tragedies. A very moving story, thank you.

[@mmmk1616]

@Otis Rohan Thanks for the tip, though I don't see what it has to do with my original comment... :)

[@sarahboo733]

Sitting in Christie’s Manchester recovering from 2nd cancer op and facing a future which will never be cancer free. Thank you for this very honest video. I’ve been so closed-in, choosing not to share a lot of what’s going on inside me over the past 16 months and also choosing not to share other people’s stories either, and I don’t think that’s especially been helpful. Thank you for the courage in sharing.

[@victoriamapplebeck5589]

Thank you Hope, your message meant a lot to me. Lots of luck with your treatment xx

[@timechangeseverybody3608]

How are you doing

[@babyssweetascanesyrup5693]

I hope you get all the treatment you need and benefit from, hopefully have carefree times ahead of you, allowing you to enjoy to the fullest possible with your condition. Please feel hugged, you are in my prayers!

[@minas2503]

Omg I had treatment there too! I went for proton beam

[@bubbles8140]

I hope with all my heart that this lady is now ok

[@Vulvex]

such a nice relationship between the mum and the son!

[@francoiseluzy360]

Thanks a lot for this moving documentary and for sharing it with us.

[@moonglow1311]

Quite a riveting video showing one's journey with breast cancer. I admit I don't do enough to prevent myself from being cancer free. I do not keep doctor's appointments, I don't get yearly mammograms and I don't feel for lumps. So far I've been very, very lucky‼️ Edit: I do not recommend anyone following in my footsteps.... ‼️

[@Summitic]

I wish you all the best. Thank you for this documentary

[@zahram4931]

Incredible documentary thank you for being raw and vulnerable in regards to this subject. Thank you The Guardian for shearing this with us ❤️

[@lovelet529]

Toina I'm sorry that

[@robinnoble5535]

Thank you for a REAL account of dealing with cancer and not full of smiley glamorous people grinning hollywood smiles through chemo

[@babyssweetascanesyrup5693]

As a survivor of a stage III/IV cancer I can assure you, there is NOTHING glamorous about batteling cancer & surviving treatment!

[@bubbles8140]

This was heartbreaking 😭

[@cjpiper2420]

Sending the both of you Many Prayers,🙏🏻🇺🇸Tennessee

[@teachingdreams195]

I am facing this situation right now except my son is only 5. Thanks for sharing your journey.

[@a.h.5296]

I hope you are ok. 🖤

[@Heh3469]

Teaching Dreams Praying for you and your son! 💜

[@Xtiansldrs]

Just said a prayer for you.❤️

[@SusanHopkinson]

It’s unhelpful to suggest that the body has “failed us” as mentioned in the description. The body is working constantly towards balance and keeps us alive through years of unmanaged stress, poor diets, poor lifestyle choices, and poor environments, all of which we know can lead to cancer and other diseases. This victim mentality implies we have no input in regards to our health. This creative and inspiring woman and her son show a lot of mutual love and courage, which demonstrates how people are able to overcome cancer and other adversity. A beautiful documentary 🙏🏻

[@farahsummers1171]

What a fantastic & intelligent comment! 💚Stay well💛

[@ohmeowzer1]

Any updates on how she is today ?

[@eon7125]

I have a young daughter.. 33..single parent with 2 young children. 🌸.. Its a tough journey and I am a firm believer in prayer. My best wishes and stay positive.. Have you a email..? Lots of hugs.. 🌸

[@JaimeSalcedoA_72]

Muy interesante documental, y que Dios los bendiga, y les de fuerza a ambos...

[@aped]

I think the son needs more help. He talks about suicide too flippantly.

[@cjpiper2420]

aped .... I feel differently. He was answering questions, but really who wouldn’t think death .this made a boy a man almost instantly . I really hope this mother and son hadn’t family . But just think what if,,a single parent instantly loss their life and left a child behind that has no family SO SAD!! I continue to Pray for this family and hopes they keep us updated, and if there a need for some financial help , THEY PLEASE GENERALLY ASK!🙏🏻🙏🏻🇺🇸

[@clapinta4067]

YES

[@bijoudelouest2507]

I feel like I've seen this family in a different documentary...didn't she do one about trying to connect her son to his father?

[@elviragomez5703]

Yes

[@imgonewiththewindfab]

Did she recently recover well as of today?

[@californiadoll6273]

The clips of random stuff is pointless & irrelevant! Thumbs-down

[@rozaucja8612]

Mothers, go vegan for your children. As somebody who lost their mother in my childhood, I tell you this changes you forever.

[@dominiquecote1838]

Where did she get that beautiful wig?

[@MrSnakepowder]

the Lips tho wonder if that adds additional survival

[@skelemaestro5919]

Goku solos

[@tetraforce3743]

My friend at Chailey school got a detention for being gay

[@collywobbles1163]

Yeah - university is expensive and parents need to bank for it... Andy Taylor from Little Dot, who created real stories, lost his struggle with cancer aged 50 in Dec 2020.

[@BlackRose-vi2yg]

Sad but that's life!! It can be great and cruel

[@BKLaDiva]

❤❤❤