From Fran herself:
When I was 21 I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. It is a cancer of the lymphatic system generally affecting people in their 20s and those over 70. I had 6 months of ABVD chemotherapy and entered remission. In 20% of HL survivors the cancer relapses. Unfortunately I am in that minority and in January 2019 I found another lump. This time is a much harsher treatment with 3 rounds of inpatient chemo (where I’m writing this right now) and as long as the cancer responds I will then undergo a stem cell transplant which is 3 weeks in isolation.

As you can imagine this is all a bit of a rollercoaster, alongside I’ve had hormone therapy to retrieve eggs (12 eggs on ice right now!) and celebrated my 30th birthday.

One thing this horrible disease does is bring out the best in everyone, the outpouring of love from friends and family has been phenomenal. I sit here (day 4 out of 5 of Round 1) not crawling the walls like I imagined, but doing art, reading, looking out over Swansea bay and thinking about the impact our actions can have on peoples lives; people and relationships have got to be the most important thing in this world.

So, how we can help? Singleton Hospital in Swansea is trying to raise money to build a bone marrow/stem cell transplant centre. At the moment us transplantees are in a little room at the end of the ward (looks a bit like a tent). This limits the amount of transplants Singleton can do meaning some patients have to travel. I’m one of the lucky ones to be treated here but by giving them some cash we are going to make future patients lives much simpler, let alone their families lives!

Rosie, Steph and Giles (crazy gorgeous human beings) are all shaving their heads; photos and videos will follow. If you are around Swansea on 6th April then please come down and join in the fun. Will be next to Ripples Cafe in Mumbles on the front!