Who am I?

I am Heather, a fitness-loving Weegie living on the outskirts of Edinburgh alongside my husband aka Funny Boy and our two amazing dachshunds, Parsnip and Pumpkin. I am a cancer warrior, blogger, public speaker and dedicated fundraiser. I use my experience to support cancer charities and encourage young adults to be cancer-aware.

What is my cancer story?

In April 2014 my life was in a great place. I recently completed my first marathon, I was playing top level hockey, I loved my job and I had recently met a very funny boy who I believed was the love of my life! I was arguably the fittest I had ever been so when I found myself sat at the hospital being diagnosed with cervical cancer – it would be an understatement to say I was in shock.

I thought I was immune to cancer. I was young, fit and healthy. I had a healthy diet, never smoked, rarely drank and my life revolved around sport so how could this be happening? I faced another blow when the doctors told me my cancer was rare and aggressive. At that time my cancer was only the 19th recorded case of its kind. My life expectancy at that point was 2 years.

Thanks to the wonders of cancer research and a hard-hitting programme of treatment, I defied all odds and was declared ‘in remission’ 6 months after diagnosis. But the impact of treatment brought a whole host of challenges and it took years for me to adapt to my ‘new normal’.

Unfortunately, my cancer story took an unexpected turn in May 2018 when I woke one night to discover my bedroom filled with paramedics after the Funny Boy found me having my first seizure. Days later I was diagnosed with brain cancer.

So far, I’ve had 3 craniotomies, 6 weeks of radiotherapy and I’m now undergoing a 12-month programme of chemotherapy.

I share my experiences of diagnosis, treatment and especially the challenges of living day-to-day with cancer. My aim is to maintain FUCANCER, so cancer warriors know they are not alone! I’m determined to raise awareness of cancer itself particularly amongst young adults and highlight the impact it has upon people and their families.

FUCancer in the Media