My Story

Cancer survivor/fighter running the London Marathon 2024 in support of Young Lives v Cancer

My Cancer journey started not long after my 40^th birthday early in 2020 when I was diagnosed with an aggressive non muscle invasive bladder cancer. Luckily, I was diagnosed early enough to be in receipt of swift and successful treatment, however on 3rd November 2023 I was given the news that it has returned. Instead of just one tumour I now had three tumours removed. 

www.facebook.com/mightymouse6/Bladder Cancer recurrence

 I’m forty four and sometimes struggle to deal with the cancer and all that it means. The constant fear, the uncertainty, the hospital appointments, the treatments….

…. You can read about my initial diagnosis story here:

https://actionbladdercanceruk.org/blog/articles/scotts-story/

At the beginning of my Cancer journey in 2020, having never run for a bus in my life I challenged myself to the NHS couch to 5k running programme in a bid to raise funds and to give something back to the nurses and doctors who helped me through my treatments. In doing so I found a love for running and to date have run in various half marathons and full marathons up and down the country all of which you can follow by checking out my Facebook blog page (mighty mouse six). The reasoning for setting up my blog page is to raise awareness of bladder cancer but also to act as a platform to support and raise funds for cancer charities and you can follow my blog here:

https://www.facebook.com/mightymousesix/

My Story however pales into insignificance when you consider the fact that I’m in my forties and have been fortunate enough to have been diagnosed early and treated swiftly and successfully even considering my very recent recurrence in November 2023.

My thoughts and hopes are with the younger generations faced with this horrific disease...

...When a child is diagnosed with cancer it threatens everything, for them and their family. At a time when they should be busy being children, enjoying their rollercoaster teenage years or finding their feet at uni, life becomes full of fear. Fear of treatment, but also of families being torn apart, of overwhelming money worries, mental health stretched to breaking point, of having nowhere to turn, no one to talk to. 

Young Lives vs Cancer are the charity that helps children and young people (0-25) and their families find the strength to face whatever cancer throws at them.

We know everyone’s different, so we work hard to make sure each family has what they need to get through cancer. It could be a financial grant for a parent struggling to keep their child warm through their treatment or for a young person who can’t afford to get to hospital. Or helping a family stay together at one of our free Homes from Home close to the hospital where their child is having treatment.

And if we think families aren’t being heard by the whole system, we’re not afraid to raise their voices or shout on their behalf. Children and young people with cancer deserve the same opportunities as anyone else. We’ll always have their back, because we’ve been there before.

Powered by the kindness of our supporters, we’ll face it all together.