Edd was diagnosed with cancer in October 2025.

Like most cancer diagnosis, it came as a huge shock. It started with a toothache in August 2025 while we were on holiday. Edd booked himself in to see a dentist, who took standard protocol xrays, and noticed that bone was missing from the top left side of his jaw.

The dentist referred him for an urgent CT scan. The scan revealed a large mass inside the front left of his face, and surrounding bone had disappeared. The doctor wanted Edd to have an immediate biopsy, but unfortunately, we were due to fly home the following day.

Back in the UK, Edd contacted his GP, and was referred him to hospital under the "two week wait" cancer pathway. The consultant carried out another CT scan and initially believed it was a large 4cm x 4cm cyst. He thought it could be removed but would require a biopsy first for confirmation.

Fast forward another month, and we were called back in for the results. Edd and I sat in the consultants office while he broke the news that the biopsy confirmed Diffuse Large B Cell Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, stage 2.

The tumour had eaten through the bone in his face, and was inoperable. I broke down into tears, Edd, as he always is, was strong, positive and incredibly brave.

From here, everything was fast tracked, more tests, appointments and finally a treatment plan of R-CHOP chemotherapy and possible radiotherapy.

Edd began chemotherapy in December. The first two sessions were manageable. He experienced the expected side effects: sickness, fatigue, hair loss and bone pain from the Filgrastim injections. Despite this, he continued working, taking only a few days off for chemo and recovery.

He is now four sessions in and the cumulative effects of chemotherapy are taking their toll. He is suffering from peripheral neuropathy, severe nausea, sleepless nights, headaches, stomach pain ("chemo belly"), breathlessness, a weakened immune system and such extreme fatigue that some days he can barely walk around the block.

Edd became self employed not so long ago. Unfortunately, self employment means no work equals no pay. Since the start of 2026, he has been unable to work consistently and our finances have taken a significant hit, something neither of us could have anticipated.

We are currently surviving on my income alone, with small amounts from Edds when he's well enough to work. He has pushed himself on days when he feels absolutely awful, in pain, nauseous, breathless and exhausted. But there have also been many days where he has had no choice but to rest.

Alongside this are frequent hospital appointments, which also mean days without income. The stress of managing our mortgage, bills and everyday costs during this time has become overwhelming, at a point when our focus should simply be on recovery.

Setting this up has been an incredibly difficult decision. Like most people, we value our independence and would much rather manage on our own. We have explored every possible avenue of support and held on for as long as we could. However, friends encouraged us to reach out, and so here we are.

Any support would help lift some of the financial pressure from our shoulders. It would allow Edd to stay home and recover properly on his worst days without the added stress of worrying about how the next bill will be paid. Most importantly, it would give him the breathing space to focus fully on healing.

Edd has seven weeks of chemotherapy remaining, followed by the long road of recovery ahead. We will continue to share updates here and are deeply grateful for every contribution, no matter how small. Even if you are only able to share this link, that is more than enough ❤️

Thank you for taking the time to read our story. ❤️❤️