I’m running the Chester Triple (10km, Half Marathon and Full Marathon) to raise money to benefit Lymphoma Action, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.
I don’t really speak about my own story much but if it helps raise awareness about the possible symptoms and to get them to go to the doctors earlier, then it will be worth it.
In early 2022, I thought I was dealing with something many people were struggling with — long Covid. I’d been feeling exhausted, run-down, and just not myself for months. Eventually, I went to the doctor hoping for answers or at least some support to help me get back on track.
After further tests and scans, I was given a diagnosis I never expected: stage 3 Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Hearing those words was life-changing. Overnight, everything shifted. What I thought was just long Covid turned out to be cancer — a type that affects far more young people than most realise. Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma are under 30, and lymphoma is the most common cancer in teenagers and young adults.
2022 became one of the toughest years of my life. At the same time I was facing my diagnosis, my grandmother was also diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Suddenly, the word cancer became very real — it was something affecting two generations of my family at once.
I’m sharing my story because awareness saves lives. Lymphoma symptoms can be easy to miss or mistake for something else — fatigue, night sweats, itching, weight loss, or swollen lymph nodes. Many people, like me, assume it’s stress, a virus, or just part of life catching up with them.
I want people to know what to look out for. I want more people to go to the doctor early. And I want to support the incredible work that Lymphoma Action does for patients and families facing these frightening moments.
Your support means more than you know — not just to me, but to everyone affected by lymphoma today, and everyone who will face it tomorrow.
Thank you for reading my story, and for standing with me.
More information about Lymphoma Action: Lymphoma Action provides free emotional support and information to people affected by lymphatic cancer (Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas) - the 5th most common cancer diagnosed in the UK.
For more information about our services, please visit www.lymphoma-action.org.uk