Hello,

I have set this up for my youngest sister, Shannon. Sadly, at the young age of just 23 She has been diagnosed with breast cancer!

Here is Shannon’s story so far..

Back at the end of 2020, Shannon found a lump in her breast and after both our mum and Nan having breast cancer, Shannon knew it was best to get it checked out. After a brief appointment with the GP, Shannon was referred to her local hospital, she was examined and referred for an ultrasound. Unfortunately, the lady doing the ultrasound in not so many words, told my sister that she was silly for being there and it is highly unlikely that a girl of her age would have breast cancer and sent my sister home. After another few weeks, Shannon noticed that the lump was still there and was now getting really uncomfortable and sore. Shannon phoned the hospital and got booked in for a mammogram- this time we all got the news we had been dreading. My kind and caring youngest sister had been diagnosed with cancer and the treatment needed to be started as soon as possible!

Being so close to Christmas and in a lock-down the hospital advised that the chemotherapy would start just after the new year - but the bad news wasn’t over yet! Being so young, Shannon was then told that she would need to think about her fertility as the chemotherapy can effect the ovaries. In order to hang on to hope that she would be able to have children in later life, Shannon needed to get some embryos frozen and this would delay the cancer treatment until late January/February, but it was a step that Shannon was determined to fit in. After weeks of daily injections, weekly scans and a mountain of hospital appointments she successfully had embryos frozen.

So .... here we are now and Shannon has just had her second round of chemo with a grueling 6 months ahead of her and that doesn’t include the news that she will likely have to have her breast removed at the end of the treatment! I thank my lucky stars every day that Shannon has such a caring and compassionate fiancé that is by her side always - this young couple were planning their 2021 wedding and now they are facing such life changing circumstances!

I would like to try and raise as much money as I can to help them in day to day life, Shannon's fiance has had to take unpaid leave due to COVID-19 and Shannon has currently been furloughed but will be reduced to sick pay once furlough ends and isn't currently eligible for any financial help.

All the money raised will go towards the necessities to keep their heads above water, such as household bills, fuel and hospital parking and I would love for any that is left over to be put towards their wedding in 2022 and Shannon’s paramedic training that has had to be put on hold until she is well enough to continue.

I can not express enough how much of a giving and caring individual Shannon is, she would always go above and beyond, not only for family and friends but anyone she met. I can't imagine having to go through this medical journey and have the financial worry on top of the medical stress - I just want to do anything I can to help make this journey easier and that's where you can help!

As well as crowd funding, I will be trying to carryout s many fundraisers as I can in lock down such as, sponsored walks, cake sales and anything I can manage on zoom!