Victoria Derbyshire writes ‘goodbye letter’ to sons before mastectomy

Victoria Derbyshire shares emotional ‘goodbye letters’ to her sons before surgery amid cancer journey

In a courageous revelation, BBC broadcaster Victoria Derbyshire disclosed that she penned heartfelt farewell letters to her sons ahead of a mastectomy, driven by fears over her survival during the operation. This candid moment unfolded during her recent guest appearance on the podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby, hosted by Giovanna Fletcher.

Victoria Derbyshire faced a life-altering breast cancer diagnosis in 2015, a shocking blow that affected her family profoundly. Recalling that difficult time, she shared the intense emotions she experienced, especially the reactions of her children. Her then 11-year-old son Oliver expressed anger upon hearing the news, while her eight-year-old son Joe perceived the situation as particularly stressful. Such worries intensified Victoria’s fears about the possibility of not waking up after the anesthetic.

“I had this bizarre anxiety, one that felt almost reasonable, about not waking up from the anesthetic, so I decided to write each of them a goodbye letter—just in case,” Victoria revealed. “Of course, I fully expected to wake up, as millions undergo anesthesia every day and come through just fine. But that fear was what gripped me the most. Losing a breast wasn’t the issue for me; it was the thought of never seeing my boys again.”

Victoria expressed a deep emotional need to articulate her feelings. “I wanted it all down on paper,” she elaborated. “So I wrote them letters that I kept in my bedside drawer. Mark, my husband, knew where they were in case something went awry. The letters conveyed how much I love them and included reminders about being polite and kind to others—all the things I tell them daily. I just wanted them to have something tangible.”

Her journey from suspecting cancer to receiving a diagnosis was shockingly brief, spanning merely five days. Throughout her treatment process, Victoria documented her experience via a video diary, capturing her path through chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and eventually the mastectomy. Following her recovery, she and her long-term partner Mark Sandell celebrated their love by tying the knot.