Cancer Twins

In this episode Charlotte & Greg talk to Rian, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) when he was only 14. It is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that can advance very quickly if not treated.
A year after finishing his treatment, Rian relapsed just before his 15th birthday and had to go through the whole ordeal again. The experience has had a major impact on his life and it is only recently he’s been able to talk openly about it.
Now in his early 20s, Rian is passionate about sharing his experience in the hope it’ll help other men open up. So much so, Rian is now co-organising the MacMillan Cancer Support ‘Men and Cancer’ campaign across social media to help empower more men to speak up about their cancer journeys.
Here is a similar video from a few years ago https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/stories-and-media/videos/lets-talk-about-what-you-cant-say---men-and-cancer so look out for more of that fantastic campaign to come in the new year.
Rian talks about how he first got the courage to start talking about his cancer journey on social media during lock down and began posting videos on his experience of the after affects, to try to help inspire others.
This has been so successful it even led him to land the role as a social media content executive for a media organisation. If you’d like to follow him, his handle is https://instagram.com/thelcard_rh on instagram and https://www.facebook.com/TheLCard on facebook.
Rian has also been organising annual fitness activities for the past four years to raise money for the Anthony Nolan charity for leukaemia and stem cell transplants, which he calls ’The Challenge’. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rian-harvey-264miles?fbclid=IwAR39Ncts7xWu2oLT5EUoHwB05qMob0s5qP4fxsO-WOMoWrNYW4OoQ4x_828
For his summer 2023 'The Challenge' Rian is organising climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. If you are interested in taking part, please look out for the update on signing up for a place on his social media pages.
Rian’s journey has lead him to become a massive advocate of men speaking up about their cancer journey’s and experiences. As he says, it’s good to talk, and would encourage more men to speak up about their experiences in battling cancer!
Please share like and subscribe to all of the https://instagram.com/theCancerTwins social media and podcast/YouTube channels via https://linktr.ee/thecancertwins

In this episode Charlotte & Greg talk to Beth, whose mother was tragically diagnosed (and passed away) from breast cancer at only 37, the same age as Beth when she was diagnosed, less than three months ago. She has only just undergone a mastectomy, so is currently recovering from surgery, but discusses her struggles with losing her mother and subsequent struggles overcoming substance abuse.
Beth is self employed and will also need chemotherapy in the new year, meaning currently she has no income. The financial burden from this is what gives Beth the most anxiety, and her friend has set up a fund raiser to help her get through this difficult period. Please donate to help if you can: https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8PEan9gHmm
Beth was only 14 when her mother died and opens up about her substance abuse as a coping mechanism. Thankfully, Beth saught help and just celebrated being over 2 years sober. If you or someone you know needs help please contact: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/
She also discusses how Shine Cancer Support provides help for those in their 20s – 40s who are too old to qualify for teenage cancer support but are still a long way off retirement. Please find out more via the link: https://shinecancersupport.org/
Beth and her brother are even shaving their head's in January to raise money for the charity, ahead of her chemotherapy treatment. If you’d like to donate: shorturl.at/qwMPV
Beth copes by keeping a sense of humour about everything and surrounds herself with people that care. Most of all, she wants others going through this to do whatever is right for them and to be kind to themselves!
You can follow Beth on her journey via her Instagram page https://instagram.com/cancer_vs_me - where she regularly posts updates.
Please share like and subscribe to all of the https://instagram.com/CancerTwins social media and podcast/YouTube channels via https://linktr.ee/thecancertwins

In this episode Charlotte & Greg talk to Adam, who was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when only 14, the same age that Greg was when he received his diagnosis.
Now in his early 20s, Adam is getting used to a ‘normal’ adult life without cancer, but explains, it never truly leaves you.
As a teenager, Adam was dramatically rushed to the hospital with worrying symptoms, such as extreme shortness of breath and blackouts. A chest scan eventually revealed the problem and he was immediately transferred to start chemotherapy.
Although Adam has made a full recovery, he shares his pain of loosing so many peers and the survivor’s guilt that causes.
During his journey, Adam and his family were lucky enough to receive a lot of support from a wide array of charities, giving him some amazing opportunities and very special memories during and following his treatment.
If you or someone you know could benefit from the trips and supports offered, please see details below
https://www.dreamflight.org
https://www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk
https://www.ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org
https://www.make-a-wish.org.uk/wishes/apply-for-a-wish/
However, that has given him even more motivation to be grateful and try to give back. He remains heavily involved with raising awareness and money for many causes.
This includes running quiz events for Dream Flight, a skydive for Clic Sargent, becoming a youth representative and helping arrange a charity concert for Ellen MacArthur and doing Teenage Cancer Trust and Stand Up to Cancer campaigns. You can follow and support Adam’s activities on social media
@adambrommers
Despite what he went through, Adam admits, if he could do it all again, he wouldn’t change a thing! It wasn’t all bad, because he was able to make the best out of a bad situation. He wants others like him to know that you can get through it, you just need to find your happiness!

In this episode Charlotte & Greg talk to Jordan, a young thyroid cancer survivor, who had been unknowingly suffering with the condition for years.
As a teenager, Jordan experienced many symptoms and illnesses that were constantly attributed to having a young and busy lifestyle. However, when she found a large lump on her neck, she knew it wasn’t normal, and kept returning to the doctor’s until it was finally taken seriously. All came to a head eventually during covid, where she experienced extreme tiredness and fatigue, which could no longer be explained away by a busy social life.
Bizarrely, although her blood’s came back not indicating any issue with her thyroid, the biopsy of the lump in her neck showed it was thyroid cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes in her neck. Luckily for Jordan, thyroid cancer is a slow growing cancer, so it hadn’t spread beyond that before it was caught. However, it is scary to think she could have had the cancer in her body for 5-10 years, undetected.
It also explained the wide varieties of symptoms she had experienced across the years, and so (in a way) was a relief to finally have a diagnosis and be able to treat the issues. The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate metabolism - controlling heart, muscle and digestive function, brain development and bone maintenance.
Over a year on from her surgery, Jordan (just turning 23) is still facing a battle to get her health back to a normal level for her age, and continues with ongoing physiotherapy, rehabilitation and hormone treatment.
However, she remains positive about her future and wants to help to inspire other teenage/young cancer sufferers to know that they’re not alone and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just take one step at a time!
Jordan has been raising awareness with the Teenage Cancer Trust and Stand Up to Cancer campaigns. You can follow Jordan’s video blog on instagram @jordansthyroidcancerjourney
Jordan also talked about the valuable financial support she received from both Young Lives VS Cancer and Macmillan cancer support. Support links can be found below:
https://www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk/life-with-cancer/i-have-cancer/money/
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/get-help/financial-and-work/financial-guidance-help-line

In this episode Charlotte & Greg talk to Tom, who had just started University when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system.
Thankfully, his prognosis was good and after chemotherapy and radiotherapy he went into remission.
However, being diagnosed with cancer at a young age had such a profound influence on his life, it lead him to a career in medicine.
At first, he thought he would become an oncologist, but later realised that psychiatry was the right path for him.
This is very apt because Tom certainly felt that the cancer had a far more major impact on his mental welfare than his physical one.
Something Tom wishes that he knew when he was going through it was that he was not alone. He did not discover there was so much great charity support for cancer sufferers, especially younger patients, until much later.
He would encourage others to get involved with the Teenage Caner Trust. In particular, Macmillan Cancer Support has been of major assistance in helping him deal with the late and phycological affects of surviving cancer.
Tom also attended cognitive behavioural therapy through his local GP and would encourage anyone who is struggling with their mental health to seek help as soon as possible. 1 in 4 of us suffer from some form of mental illness in our lives but it is very treatable.
Many years on, Tom now likes to celebrate every year he is cancer free and calls this his cancerversary. He’d encourage others to do the same!
If you or someone you know is suffering from mental health issues caused by cancer please contact:
https://www.macmillan.org.uk
https://www.teenagecancertrust.org
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt/overview