My twin sister was diagnosed back in August 2021 with malignant stage 3 cancer of the peripheral nerve sheath. This was a shock to the whole family. She had a tumour growing on the base of the sciatic nerve on her spine that was misdiagnosed. Because her tumour was so rare the health professionals believed it was just sciatic pain. Needless to say, she was admitted to A&E with agonizing pain and the scans showed a huge tumour of 20cm long which had been present for many years undetected. My sister had to undergo major surgery to remove this huge cancer leaving her disabled and losing the use of her right foot. 

Since then my sister has had chemo and radiotherapy and many other occurrences and so many procedures. Unfortunately the treatment was not successful in fighting back this disease and she is now terminal with palliative care. Standard cancer treatment isn't 100% effective or definitive and leaves many questions and uncertainties for all. I want to raise awareness for such rare cancers and the desperate need for cancer research in being able to provide a positive outlook for those suffering from sarcoma.

My sister passed away in Sept this year at aged 40 and was also a practising senior nurse for many years and loved to care for people. She fought this disease so much but had to end the fight. Now it's my turn to care for and support her in any way I can and ask others to help in the same way. 

Back in October 2022 by dear Dad received the news he had a Sarcoma in the liver and again chemo couldn’t combat this disease and will be undergoing major surgery in September 2023 to remove the cancer. 

I then found out on Sept this year I’ve inherited the mutated TP53 and I have a syndrome called Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) which can cause different types of cancer Sarcoma being one of them. I’ve been referred for MRI’s and a drugs trial.

I can’t believe two people I love more in this world have had cancer within the last two years. Such a shock to the family and it feels like we have all had a run of bad luck. However I maintain to have a positive outlook on life. In return, I am going to run a marathon for the Sarcoma charity for The Brighton Marathon in April 2024. I would be so grateful for any donations. 

Thank you Michelle xx

Thank you for visiting my page. I've chosen to run the 2024 Brighton Marathon for Sarcoma UK, a national charity that funds vital research, offers support for anyone affected by sarcoma cancer and campaigns for better treatments. Sarcoma is a type of cancer that develops in the bone and soft tissue. It is difficult to diagnose and one of the hardest to treat. By supporting me, we can help change this. Your donation will help researchers find answers, keep the specialist Support Line open, and raise awareness to improve treatment and standards of care. Your donations go so far in helping the sarcoma community:- £1 could cover the cost of 10 texts to the support line- £10 could be used to buy microscope slides to look at cells in minute detail- £30 could fund one hour of use of a high-powered laboratory microscope- £150 could fund the support line for a weekThank you for your support.