Friends treated for Hodgkin Lymphoma sharing story to raise awareness of the main symptoms
Abbie Price from Crumlin, Co Antrim, was 21 when in December 2022 she was told she had Hodgkin Lymphoma.
The following March, 21-year-old Rebecca McKee from Belfast was given the same news.
Neither realised that the symptoms they experienced could point to cancer.
Both are sharing their story for World Cancer Day this Sunday to raise awareness of symptoms in teenagers and young people and encourage support for the Teenage Cancer Trust, the charity that supported them.
Every year around 75 people in Northern Ireland aged 13-24 are diagnosed with cancer.
But just 17% of 13 to 24-year-olds know all five of the main warning signs — lumps, bumps and swellings; unexplained tiredness; mole changes; persistent pain and significant weight change.
Abbie Price lost her hair due to chemo treatment
Abbie, now 22, said she was “so shocked to be diagnosed”, adding: “It had never occurred to me the lump I had could be cancer.
“That first time I went into the hospital for treatment I did get a wee bit emotional, but I just had to get on with it.
“I went every two weeks for chemotherapy and was always the youngest there, most of the people there were a lot older.
“It made me feel like I wasn’t meant to be there, and it felt lonely. But my mum and dad would come along to keep me company, and Kerrie was there every week too, chatting away to me.”
Both Abbie and Rebecca were treated at Antrim Area Hospital and supported by clinical nurse specialist Kerrie.
Her role is funded by the part-funded by the Teenage Cancer Trust, and she is one of five part-funded nurses working across five local hospitals who focus on helping young people with cancer.
Abbie added: “Kerrie was so helpful to have around and explained everything that was going to happen and since then she’s been there for anything I’ve needed.
“She was easy to speak to and no questions were too small.”
Abbie with her mum and dad at end of chemo in hospital.
Three months into her treatment, Abbie heard that Rebecca had also been diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma.
Abbie added: “Growing up I knew Rebecca through mutual friends, and it was a real coincidence that we both had the same cancer so close together.
“Part of me started thinking — I hope we get to do this together because it would be nice to have someone to talk to and understand what each other is going through.”
Abbie in hospital wearing a mask.
Rebecca noticed something wasn’t quite right after finding a lump in her neck, but when it appeared to have gone away, she wasn’t too concerned.
However, when it came back two months later, and she started getting headaches and blurred vision she went to A&E.
Rebecca explained: “I had a scan, and it was then that they found a 6cm x 4cm tumour, right next to my heart. I was so shocked — it was completely out of the blue.”
Rebecca said: “Abbie was well into her treatment when I was diagnosed.
“I remember that she said to me that at the start of treatment that it’s mayhem and you don’t feel positive but that after a few weeks it would change.”
When Abbie finished her treatment on June 2 last year, she rang the end of treatment bell and Rebecca came along to watch.
She added: “Rebecca and I got a lot closer during treatment and we have kept in touch since. We’ve talked about having a night out to celebrate and I joined a walk Rebecca organised to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust.”
Dr Louise Soanes, chief nurse at Teenage Cancer Trust, urged anyone with symptoms to get checked out.
“It’s normal to feel nervous before speaking to a doctor or a nurse — if you don’t feel that you can make the first step on your own, it can be a good idea to speak to someone you trust first,” she said.
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
