Help Me Rebuild After Cancer – I Just Want to Smile Again

Hi, my name is Gemma, and this will come as a shock to many people. I’ve kept my cancer diagnosis and treatment very private. I didn’t want to burden anyone. I wanted to protect my children, stay strong, and quietly get through it. But now, I feel like I have to speak up—not just to ask for help with urgent dental treatment, but to raise awareness for others who may walk this same path after me.

At 40 years old, I went in for what I thought was a routine check-up for a minor issue. That appointment changed my life—I was diagnosed with larynx cancer.

I underwent radiotherapy. I had a feeding tube. I struggled with severe reflux. My body and mind went through things I never expected. I carried on as best I could—for myself, for my husband, and for our children.

I’ve tried to carry the best of myself for my family, even when I felt like I was falling apart inside.

I’m beyond grateful to have been given the all-clear—but cancer didn’t leave me untouched. It took its toll in ways I wasn’t prepared for. It destroyed my teeth and gums. The radiotherapy, reflux, and side effects eroded them beyond repair. I’ve already had several extractions, and now I’m left facing thousands of pounds of dental work just to restore basic function.

And now, to make things even harder, I’ve developed an infection in one of my crowns. Because of the damage caused by cancer treatment, I’m more vulnerable to infections like this—and it needs urgent specialist treatment that isn’t available on the NHS. I’ve been told it will cost a minimum of £2,500 just to treat this one issue.

I just don’t want to be in pain anymore. I want to be able to eat, speak, and smile without constant discomfort or fear of infection. That’s all.

This isn’t about vanity—it’s about being able to eat without pain, speak confidently, and smile in front of my children without feeling ashamed. It’s about healing fully, not just surviving. And right now, the NHS doesn’t cover the kind of care I need, even though it was cancer treatment that caused the damage.

And beyond just my oral health, cancer hasn’t left my family untouched. My husband had to take time off work—unpaid at times—to look after me and our children during treatment. It’s been a huge financial strain. We’ve used every resource we had just to get through the last year. Even now, after being told I’m cancer-free, I’m still living with the impact of it physically, emotionally, and financially. And that’s something no family should have to worry about—especially after surviving something as big as cancer.