Ruth Grace was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, when she was eight years old.
On a family holiday, Ruth Grace complained her legs were sore. She also banged her leg which resulted in a lump and excruciating pain. Her mum took her to the GP and several tests later confirmed that Ruth Grace had cancer.
She started chemotherapy and thankfully the cancer hadn’t spread, so surgery was also possible. However, Ruth Grace was sick from day dot. Within three weeks, she had lost all her hair. Her mouth was full of blisters and she had a rare, life-threatening allergic reaction to one of her chemotherapy drugs which caused deep tissue blisters.
After her first round of chemo, she underwent an eight-hour operation to remove her tibia and to do a bone graft. Once the bone showed signs of successfully grafting, her chemotherapy started again. Sadly, after nearly two years of persisting with physiotherapy, an MRI scan eventually revealed that the bone had not grafted at the knee joint. Aged just ten years old, Ruth Grace had her leg amputated at the knee.
Ruth Grace is now a young teenager getting on with her life and looking ahead. She has a prosthetic leg and is back on her scooter again!
Although it saved her life, Ruth Grace’s cancer treatment has been brutal and has left her with many side effects.
She has hearing loss and suffers with severe tinnitus, both of which make her dizzy and nauseous. She has constant kidney infections and early stage liver damage. She also has lung damage, multiple slipped discs in her spine, and hip difference. She will need yearly heart scans due to the increased risk of heart damage from the chemo.
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Nancy, 11, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma when she was just 2 years old. She was treated with Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) in Germany but unfortunately relapsed less than a year later. The family were then sent to Germany for a second round of PBT. Although treatment helped to cure Nancy’s cancer, she has been left with lots of lasting effects which will require ongoing treatment throughout her life. Here Nancy and her mum, Antonia, share their story in the hope it will help others, raise awareness, and raise more money for children’s cancer research.
Why I am a Trustee of CCRF
I have spent my professional career representing individuals and families affected by the devastating asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma, which has no cure and for which there are only a limited number of palliative treatments available on the NHS.
I joined CCRF because I wanted to bring my understanding of the need to raise awareness of less well known cancers and passion for the need to secure improved funding for research to children facing a cancer diagnosis.
My role on the Board
I am responsible for oversight of our collaboration agreements with other charities to co-fund research into cures and treatments for childhood cancers. I also manage our challenge events and help with community fundraising.
My Background
I am a Senior Associate at Irwin Mitchell LLP and specialise in Asbestos Disease Litigation, acting on behalf of victims of asbestos related diseases and their families. Over the years, I have undertaken a number of fundraising challenges to raise money for cancer research, including a 1000 mile cycle ride from Glasgow to Southampton.
