Your Stories
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Kirsty: “My wish for the future, is that together we can make ovarian cancer a disease every woman survives.”
Kirsty Chisholm was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer at just 29 years old. At the time, she and her husband were newly married and couldn’t wait to start their family. But they soon realised it wasn’t going to be that simple.
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Emma: "Never in my life did I think it would be me, especially not at 20"
It all started earlier in the year when I developed symptoms like having to get up to wee a lot during the night, feeling sick all the time and losing my appetite. The doctors and I both put it down to IBS, never in my life did I think it would be cancer.
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Carla: “A new chapter awaits”
In 2014, Carla was diagnosed with a BRCA1 gene mutation and made the decision to have a risk-reducing mastectomy. Fast forward to 2020, Carla shares an honest and open account of how she's feeling on the day before her next surgery.
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Jo Peek: “Everyone should have the opportunity to know what their genetic history is – it can save lives”
Jo explains what an unexpected opportunity to get a BRCA mutation test meant to her and generations of her family.
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Aimi Munro: Moving on
Over the last seven years, Aimi had preventative surgeries to lower her chances of being diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer. She shares why she chose surgery at the times she did, and how the decisions she made were right for her plans for a family.
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Rabbi Oliver: “The BRCA gene mutation is much more prevalent in the Ashkenazi Jewish community."
By sharing his story, Rabbi Oliver hopes to help prevent cancer in Jewish communities.
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Charlie Morgan: Tits up! Finding the positive in a BRCA mutation
When Charlie was diagnosed with a BRCA2 mutation aged 20, she wanted to find and connect with other younger women who understood what she was going though and the options that lay ahead. Charlie shares her story and the experiences that led her to create the supportive community The BRCA Project.
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Gift Hamisi: "We don’t often hear the stories of people who have tested negative, that is why I share mine"
Back in 2018, Gift was awaiting the results of a BRCA gene test, which would tell her whether or not she had inherited the same genetic mutation as her mother and a heightened risk of cancer. Almost two years on, Gift shares what happened next
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Liz Driver: "The thing that upsets me the most is the general lack of interest in boys having the gene mutation."
Liz, a 48 year old married mum of two wonderful young men describes her experience of finding out she carries a BRCA2 gene mutation.
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Loved ones
08 July 2020
Maria Emly: "Sarah – we love you and miss you so much, but we shall never forget you and the wonderful 43 years you shared with us."
Maria adapted her plans to fundraise during lockdown in memory of her daughter Sarah.
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Loved ones
29 June 2020
Andy Leslau: "At 80, she was boxing. She had a real zest for life and loved to give back."
Andy Leslau shares his family’s Step Challenge experience in memory of his mother, Anita Leslau.
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BRCA & Lynch Syndrome
17 June 2020
Jordan Gregory: "It has meant such sadness with the loss of my mum, however, it has given me a drive to live my life to the full"
Since losing his mum, Jordan has been on a mission to raise awareness of BRCA mutations and the fact that men are affected by this too.
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Personal experiences
12 June 2020
Amy Baker: "I want women to know the symptoms and to not leave diagnosis until it's too late"
Amy shares her story to raise awareness in the hope that women will be diagnosed sooner.
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Christen Williams: "This is my story so far in memory of my mum, my best friend"
Christen Williams shares her experience of how she came to find out she carries a BRCA gene mutation
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Personal experiences
22 May 2020
Lisa Robson: "I have become much more open about my diagnosis"
Lisa was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2016. She shares how she became more open about her diagnosis after a recurrence and played to her creative strengths to help raise awareness.
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Anna Hannides: "I am eternally grateful to my gynaecologist for acting so quickly"
Anna was 24 years old when she was diagnosed with a stage 1c dysgerminoma. She shares her story.
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Kimberley Ramsay: "I’m one of 295,000 women diagnosed globally every year with ovarian cancer"
Kimberley Ramsay is top of our Walk In Her Name Step Challenge leaderboard having already raised over £2,000 for Ovarian Cancer Action whilst recovering from surgery.
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Marion Bradford: "Being told I had ovarian cancer was so surreal"
Marion Bradford, now 55, was diagnosed with stage 3c ovarian cancer in November 2017.
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Florence Wilks
Florence was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2010 and has undergone several rounds of gruelling chemotherapy and extensive surgery over the past ten years. She reflects on the importance of finding joy, even in the hardest times.
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Danielle Golding: "All of a sudden I was 23 and going through the menopause"
Danielle was just 23 when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It took months of going back and forth to the hospital before finding out she had tumours on both of her ovaries and required immediate surgery.