Hi, my name is Becky. ​
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"Before I was diagnosed, I was your average young child, who had just started Year 3 at primary school. I was quite a sporty child, and enjoyed swimming and tennis, and had a large group of friends.
I was diagnosed with a Rhabdomyosarcoma (essentially, a cancer in the muscle of my right eyelid) in January 2009, when I was 7 years old.
We had noticed a small lump forming on my eyelid, initially looking a bit like a sty. It quickly grew until it looked like a tiny bunch of grapes. It made my eyelid swollen and appear quite bruised. I was referred to Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, and after many visits I had an operation to remove the lump. Within two days we got a call to confirm that it was a cancerous tumour, and by the end of the week I was at the Royal Marsden Hospital having my first round of chemotherapy.
As a young child, I wasn’t particularly aware of what was going on, I just remember visiting various hospitals in a very short period. The first operation was a severe one, which left me in quite a lot of discomfort, with little time to recover before I was in hospital having a port fitted and my first round of chemotherapy. After the first three rounds, the tumour hadn’t responded well enough to treatment, and I needed radiotherapy.
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Occasionally, I was able to attend school, when I was well enough, but I was often very tired and could only manage half days. I missed almost the entirety of Year 3 and a lot of Year 4, and I missed out on being with my friends and simply being a child.
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The effects of treatment have been long-lasting. I have suffered from repeated complications to my eye - I have had multiple operations to stabilise it and only recently has this been achieved. The radiotherapy, due to the location of the tumour, has caused some damage to my brain, particularly my pituitary gland. I struggle with fatigue; aching muscles and my brain needs to work harder to concentrate and retain information. I often feel quite anxious and have found it difficult to come to terms with having an eye that looks different. With my cancer occurring when I was so young, I’m only really beginning to understand everything I have been through and the effect that it has had and will have on my life. My consultant spoke very positively about Teens Unite and how important it was to others, so I joined. I had never really been able to meet others my age who had been through what I had. I was struggling with anxiety and feeling quite lonely. I managed to go to a few events, but it was during the Covid lockdown in 2020, that Teens Unite were the most amazing help. Teens Unite offered so many online events which I could attend, including yoga, craft sessions, and quizzes. Without Teens Unite I would have been incredibly isolated, so I was very grateful that I had those events and people to talk to. As we came out of lockdown, I started attending the face-to-face events, and with some encouragement, I signed up to a residential stay. During those four days I built stronger friendships than I ever had before. It's amazing to be able to meet people who don’t see cancer as a problem, or something that needed sympathy, but just as a part of you, and a part of you that they can also relate to. I have never opened up to people about my treatment before, but it was very refreshing to be able to talk to others who understood everything.​ Cancer is so isolating and takes a lot from you, and Teens Unite are there to help put you back together. Cancer is a club no one wants to be part of but joining Teens Unite has given me the chance to meet people who understand me, and I can relate to. I am very lucky to say I have met some friends for life through Teens Unite, and have attended some incredible events, which I never thought I would ever have the confidence to do!
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