Hello,

I'm Zizi and live with sarcoma cancer.

Thank you for visiting my page. I've chosen to complete Swim for Sarcoma UK challenge, swimming 15km in 31 days for Sarcoma UK, a national charity that funds vital research, offers support for anyone affected by sarcoma cancer and campaigns for better treatments.

I'm swimming to raise money for sarcoma research so I can live for longer than the internet thinks I can! My very kind friend Emily is joining the challenge with me.

In March 2021 I was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma cancer (MPNST). Frustratingly the current treatment options for MPNST are limited. The common route to a "cure" is surgery but recurrances are common. My tumour is deep within my pelvis, inoperable and therefore incurable. The only option available to me was chemo and radiotherapy to control my disease.

In 2021 I had six rounds of two different types of chemo. Spending 2 nights in a hospital hotel wearing a backpack pumping chemo into me. After chemo I had six weeks of radiotherapy, getting zapped with radiation very very quickly for a few minutes daily, 5 days a week. My radiotherapy oncologist has since told me I was the first patient he'd given treatment to in such a quick manner. Given I'm still alive he's very happy, and has used the method on 60 patients since. He hopes this can lead to a trial.

Research saves and extends life. Dig deep, donate and share.

Your donations will go so far in helping the sarcoma community:

£1 Could cover the cost of 12 texts to the support line.

£5 Could purchase 50 petri dishes, which researchers use to grow cells in the laboratory.

£30 Could fund one hour of use of a high-powered laboratory microscope.

Thank you for your support!