“As someone with Crohn’s disease, blood tests are part of my normal routine every three months. They had always come back as normal, so when I went for my routine blood work appointment in October 2022, I wasn’t expecting anything different. However, the results showed some abnormalities in my blood and I was quickly sent to the Bridgewater Suite at Belfast City Hospital for further investigation.
“Almost two years on, I can still remember every single word the doctor said when he told me I had stage 4 lymphoma, which had spread to my lymph nodes, spleen and blood. The diagnosis immediately crippled me. My first thought was, how long do I have? Other than slight fatigue I had felt fine, just my normal self. How could I have cancer at 34 years old? Wasn’t this something only older people got?
“The team at the Cancer Centre quickly swung into action. I started weekly chemotherapy at the beginning of November 2022 through to the end of January 2023. After that, I then received my treatment every fortnight up to the end of August when my treatment finished. During this time I unfortunately had a number of reactions, which required me to spend quite a number of nights in the hospital. Even post treatment, I have been admitted to the Cancer Centre on average every two weeks due to my weakened immune system. It was during this time I became more aware of the work of Friends of the Cancer Centre within cancer services and the critical role of the charity’s specialist nurses.
“I am incredibly grateful to all the amazing staff at the Cancer Centre for all they have done for me, but I would like to give a special mention to Laura Croan, Friends of the Cancer Centre’s Advanced Nurse Practitioner for Haematology.
“Laura provides vital care and support, delivered with warmth, kindness and a little bit of humour. Laura made some difficult days a little easier and I feel incredibly reassured knowing that I can rely on her and the amazing team at the hospital throughout my treatment.
“It has been a really difficult few years, but today my life is fantastic. The thought of ‘what if?’ lingers at the back of my mind, but I don’t dwell on it. My life is so fulfilling with the overwhelming support of my family, friends and my passion for my job. I don’t focus on the past, only the future. I now receive immunoglobulin replacement therapy, which is a blood-based treatment that helps make my immune system stronger. I’m still a frequent visitor to the hospital, but I’ve been able to get back to doing the things I love.
“I’ve been able to return to work, which was a huge milestone for me. I love working for the NI Food To Go Association as I get to work in an incredibly vibrant industry and work with people right across Northern Ireland. We’ve been able to build a really strong community of businesses and I’ve seen how they can come together to support each other. That’s why I wanted the NI Food To Go Association to partner with Friends of the Cancer Centre.
“This is our first ever charity partnership and we aim to raise £25,000 to fund nursing hours for the charity. After seeing first-hand the incredible work of the charity and the difference it makes to thousands of people, the choice was easy. I have no doubt our association members, partners, colleagues and board members will all get on board and support our targets to help fund the critical care provided by Friends of the Cancer Centre.
“It might be cliché, but I wouldn’t be here without them. I owe my life to the Cancer Centre.”
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Friends of the Cancer Centre is a registered company limited by guarantee in Northern Ireland. Company number NI616925. Registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC101345.
