Shalford woman's faith gets her through difficult times

4:12pm Thursday 4th December 2008

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Despite her own misfortunes, Marguerite Sillett continues to give back.

The 72-year-old, of The Street, Shalford, is recovering from cancer and has lost many family members to the disease, yet her commitment to the community remains unshaken.

The grandmother-of-eight dedicates her time to Braintree Baptist Church, the Samaritan’s charity shoebox appeal and voluntary work at the Helen Rollason Heal Cancer Charity shop in Braintree’s High Street.

She believes her faith, as well as keeping herself busy with community work, has got her through difficult times.

“Some of the things I have gone through, including my young sister dying, I thought I would have lost my faith actually, but I didn’t. In fact my faith kept me going,” she said.

Mrs Sillett, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer eight years ago, lost her father Henry, her younger sister Eileen and elder sister Elizabeth to cancer.

Doctors now tell her she is fine, but radiation treatment for a spinal cancer scare seven years ago has damaged her pelvic area so she has difficulty walking.

She still goes to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and The Royal Marsden Hospital in London for check-ups.

Mrs Sillett said: “There’s always someone else in church at the moment who’s suffering and I think ‘oh, I’m not so bad.’ There’s always someone else worse off.”

Her work as a co-ordinator for the Samaritan’s Purse shoe box appeal is all about making sure children around the world who have very little get a present at Christmas.

The boxes are filled with gifts, like toothbrushes and toys, and end up at a warehouse in Maldon before being taken to those who need them.

She said: “It’s just the fact I love children and if I can just do that, I think it’s the most wonderful thing anyone can do.”

Mrs Sillett, who is married to Doug, 65, a retired builder, is modest about being an “inspiration” to those around her, saying “I think we are just the way we are.

“I honestly feel I’m getting as much out of it by doing it, so I don’t look on it like ‘oh, I’ve done that for them’ because it’s a two-way thing. I have always believed you get back what you give.

“In this life if you sit back and expect everything to be brought for you, you will be disappointed.”

Her dream is to travel to eastern Europe to actually give out the boxes she co-ordinates as she has only ever seen them delivered on DVDs.

For Mrs Sillett, that would be “the icing on the cake”.