The toughest story Dan Box has ever had to write

Dan Box and his wife were shocked when their young daughter Poppy received a devastating diagnosis. How did they cope?

Many readers will recognise the name Dan Box – he was a crime writer at The Australian and produced some notable stories for this magazine. Dan, his wife Nell and their two girls returned to the UK a few years ago and were settling in to a new life when their eldest daughter Poppy received a devastating diagnosis.

As a journalist, Dan has covered the suffering of others, always with sensitivity. It’s not easy to write about your own family’s situation but Dan has done so today. Stories based on personal experience are important – how to cope, how to hold things together when your world is crumbling, how to negotiate the medical system and rally doctors to keep fighting… One person sharing their experience can help many others.