Published at 25 March, 2026 12:37.
Carol Downing and Karen Craven, sisters from Doncaster, were both introduced to smoking at a very young age - around nine or ten years old.
Carol, a lifelong Doncaster resident, recalls first trying a cigarette after taking one from her grandfather. Karen, a few years younger, remembers sneaking into her parents’ bedroom to take a cigarette and smoking it on her way to school, at a time when smoking felt commonplace and widely accepted.
Although Karen made several attempts to quit over the years, significant life events - such as the loss of her husband and father - often led her back to smoking.
Karen’s most recent attempt to quit smoking followed a serious health scare. While on holiday in Spain with Carol, she became extremely unwell, experiencing severe dizziness that left her confined to bed for a week. Concerned for her health, Carol brought her back to the UK and took her straight to hospital.
Karen was diagnosed with a chest infection affecting her lungs, as well as complications involving her liver and kidneys. Two days later, she was also diagnosed with Legionella.
During her hospital stay, Karen was offered nicotine replacement therapy in the form of patches. Having previously tried to quit using Champix without long-term success, this time she found patches worked for her - and she is now smokefree.
The sisters do everything together. Since quitting smoking, they’ve saved a significant amount of money—enough to enjoy holidays, meals out, and regular day trips.
They continue to support and motivate each other, encouraging others who want to quit to do it together, believing that having someone by your side can make all the difference.
Read more about Caron and Karen's experience of the Yorkshire Smokefree service in Doncaster here.
