In June 2018, my mother, a vibrant, healthy non-smoker was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She had no known risk factors, no history of smoking, and no reason to believe she was at risk. Yet just five months later, in November 2018, I lost her when I was only 13. Her diagnosis was unexpected, and her story is one that is tragically common, yet rarely acknowledged. It’s a reality that remains misunderstood, underfunded, and heavily stigmatised. The narrative around lung cancer continues to be shaped by blame and assumptions, leaving thousands of patients misdiagnosed, unsupported, and voiceless. This is why I founded and created my own foundation called 'Breathe for Hope,' a lung cancer awareness initiative and advocacy platform born from grief, fuelled by purpose, and built in memory of my mother. I want to use my foundation to raise vital funds for Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, supporting life-saving research, early diagnosis, and families affected by lung cancer.

Now, as a Miss England semi-finalist, I’m using my platform to raise both awareness and funding to shift the narrative around lung cancer and support critical work through my partnership with the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, the only UK charity wholly dedicated to defeating lung cancer.

What Your Support Will Help Us Achieve:

1) Awareness Without Stigma

I am campaigning to redefine public understanding of lung cancer — especially in non-smokers. Through digital campaigns, outreach events, and media advocacy, I aim to remove blame and replace it with compassion and awareness.

2)Early Detection and Education

Too many diagnoses come too late. Funds raised will support Roy Castle’s early detection initiatives, educational resources, and symptom-awareness programmes that can catch lung cancer before it becomes fatal.

3)Support for Families Affected

As someone who lost a parent as a teenager, I know how devastating this illness is not just for the patient, but for every loved one left behind. Part of my mission is to support young people and families navigating loss.

4)Investment in Lifesaving Research

With lung cancer receiving disproportionately low funding compared to other cancers, donations will help accelerate research into more effective treatments, particularly for non-smoking patients.

5)Amplifying Patient Voices

Breathe for Hope also exists to tell the stories that are too often silenced. By giving a platform to those affected, especially young carers and survivors, we ensure no one feels invisible in this fight.

Lung cancer doesn’t just affect smokers. It affects mothers, fathers, sisters, friends and people like my mum, who never had a chance to fight because she wasn’t seen as “at risk.” Your support helps us change that. By donating, sharing, and following my work, you’re helping in honouring those that are lost and to protect those we can still save.Together, we can breathe hope into a future where stories like my mum’s are no longer the norm but the ones we fought to change.

https://roycastle.org

fundraising@roycastle.org

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation registered charity number 1046854.