13 months ago I was diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer called 'Osteo-Sarcoma'. This form of cancer is usually found in teenagers and young adults after a growth spurt causing the cells in the bone to keep re-producing. These cells form a tumour. 

After a number of Dr apointments I eventualy saw a trauma specialist at St helens hospital. By this point I could barely walk and was on crutches. At the end of November i met the specialist and as soon as he saw me being unable to walk, move or sit down properly, he knew there was something wrong. He took one look at my x-ray and knew something needed to be done. Within 3 days I had an MRI, CT and bone scan. Then within a week, at 23 years old, I was sat in a room with my boyfriend, doctors and nurses being told I had a rare tumour. This is the moment my life changed. 

A week later I was in Birmmgham having a biopsy and then on 29th December 2011 I started my first round of treatment. I then ended up staying in for nearly 8 weeks from having a reaction to the treatment and breaking my leg (something that usually happens for people to find the tumour in the first place) resulting in the original planned operation being unable to happen and for me to have an above the knee amputation. By this point I was in so much pain I didn't care. A week later I had my amputation at Broadgreen Hospital. With a wonderful surgical team and members of staff, I came through well and was up and moving around within days. I was then sent home 6 days later. Two weeks later my chemo started again.

I then spent an awful lot of time in Clatterbridge hospital where I had been having my treatment. I got used to being an amputee relatively easily but struggled with treatment and long hospital stays. I eventually met my goal that I had set which was to walk down the aisle as a bridesmaid for my friends wedding in August using a prosthetic leg that I had only been practicing on for a couple of weeks!! I then finished treatment and carried on as normal.

That was until I noticed a change in my stump and it began hurting again then after a scan, we found that the tumour had spread from the bone to the tissue further up my stump. This resulted in 3 days later having another amputation (an upper leg dis articulation- which means I have no bone including hip bone). A few days later I had a CT scan which showed there was no tumour left anywhere in my body and went home after another few days. 

Two weeks later I had a specific bone scan to check everything and to our dismay found the tumour had spread through both lungs. Treatment started straight away. After a few cycles and another scan, it came to our attention that the treatment wasn't working and had spread again in what was left of my stump (which trust me isn't much lol) I then began another treatment which I am currently on now and fingers crossed will be kicking this cancers ass!! I will be having a scan either after this cycle or the next. 

My wonderful friends have decided that they would like to raise some money for me to donate to some of the amazing people that have been helping me over the past 13 months. To do this, they have been growing their hair and will be having at least 6 inches cut off which will be donated to a charity which makes wigs for young children who have suffered through some sort of hair loss whether it be due to cancer or alopecia.

I will then be donating money to the fantastic Teenage Cancer Trust who have helped to build a Teenage and Young Adult Unit within Clatterbridge Cancer Centre where I receive my treatment. They also provide staff to work with the TYA's patients to keep them going, encouraging them to get out of bed and providing them with great opportunities to meet other sufferers and make friends. There is also so much more that the Teenage Cancer Trust do; for instance, staff go into school/colleges and much more to talk about cancer, how it affects people and how to look out for signs and symptoms, they also provide teenagers and young adults with opportunities to express themselves, continue learning whilst on treatment, meet other sufferers, arrange trips and visits out or even weekends away. They also provide sufferers and their families with so much information, help and support through social workers, youth support co-ordinations and much much more. I would urge you to look at their website to see the amazing work they do. 

Thank you ever so much for reading my long story and for taking time to visit my page. I will keep you updated on the progress of things as we go along. Please take the time to donate to this wonderful cause and pass the message around as we would like to raise even a fraction of the money it takes to run the TYA every year! And please add Gift Aid if you are a UK tax payer as this makes your donation go so much further!

Thank you and once again, you can either donate on here, through text or one of our sponsor forms. Much appreciated!