Parenting doesn't stop when cancer starts (Victoria Mapplebeck)

In this episode of the Breast Cancer Now podcast, documentary filmmaker Victoria Mapplebeck shares her experience of raising her son as a solo parent while documenting the journey over 20 years.

She talks to Laura about her film Motherboard, which captures the humour and heartbreak of parenting, and how her unexpected breast cancer diagnosis affected her teenage son Jim.

Victoria opens up about navigating breast cancer treatment without a partner, and how she uses creativity as a way to cope with and process those challenges. 

Motherboard is now streaming on Apple, Amazon, BFI Player, Rakuten and YouTube Movies & TV. You can also get free tickets to a screening at Medicinema at Guys Hospital, London, 1 May at 18:00.

Family Viewing – Capturing family life with your smartphone. A series of workshops for parents navigating family life with breast cancer – register for free.
 
Parenting support from Fruitfly Collective.
Breast cancer support from Breast Cancer Now.

Listen to our episode with Caroline Leek from Fruitfly Collective, about parenting with cancer.

01:26 Getting to know Victoria
03:00 Motherboard, filmed over 20 years
10:19 Being a solo parent
14:19 Victoria is diagnosed with breast cancer
15:56 Talking to a child about a breast cancer diagnosis
22:07 The emotional impact of Victoria's breast cancer
26:12 Mutual support between a child and a parent
32:06 The pitfalls searching for cancer information online
37:08 Working with Fruitfly Collective to help parents with cancer
40:19 How to get started documenting your experience
48:13 How to watch Motherboard