"We didn’t expect me to be here beyond her birth”

When 57-year-old Sue was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of sarcoma in 2016, she feared she would not see the birth of her daughter.

30 January

Patient stories

“I started losing weight and something clearly wasn’t right. I ended up in a lot of pain and went to my local A&E. They said I’d need to be seen by the oncology team.”

“At the same time as this, it was our very, very last attempt at getting pregnant after eight years of trying and several miscarriages."

“My wife, Alex, found out she was pregnant on the same day I was told I might have ovarian cancer. It was such a rollercoaster of emotions.”

Two people with orange Banham Marsden March t-shirts standing on a podium at the start of the march at Dovehouse Green. One is speaking into a microphone, while holding a phone to refer to notes. — Patient supporter Sue (right) and wife Alex at The Banham Marsden March, 2024

Unfortunately, Sue's test results revealed a very rare and highly aggressive form of sarcoma, a type of cancer that develops in the body’s connective tissues. Sue underwent major surgery at her local hospital to remove the tumour, but afterwards she had to be put in an induced coma and was on life support for four days.

Sadly, just five weeks after her operation, the cancer began to grow back.

It was too soon to operate again, but if we were lucky, chemotherapy might buy us more time.

Treatment at The Royal Marsden and the arrival of Pip

After the surgery, Sue came to The Royal Marsden in May 2016 and was put under the care of Professor Robin Jones.

“He held Alex’s hand and said she might want to consider getting a different birthing partner because it was unlikely that I would be here come October. It was so surreal. There was no way to deliver this sort of news, but he was so sweet.

“It was too soon to operate again, but if we were lucky, chemotherapy might buy us more time."

Two people dressed formally at a gathering of people. One of them is smiling at the camera, the other is holding a happy smiley baby, she is wearing a little ballet dress with tights and shiny trainers. — Sue, Alex and baby Pip

Sue started intensive chemotherapy at The Royal Marsden in May 2016. Despite becoming extremely unwell with sepsis after the third round, she was able to be there for the arrival of her daughter, Pip, on 14 October 2016.

“It was amazing to be there for Pip's birth, but there was just a constant dichotomy of feelings. Would I see my daughter’s first birthday?"

“It felt like a miracle was happening”

“I had regular blood tests and scans during treatment to monitor how my body was coping. During one of these, I was told the results showed small, positive changes. This was such a surprise, because we had been told so many times that this treatment was not likely to be curative.”

Two adults holding up a young child, they are all smiling. — Pip's first day at school!

The sepsis which had made Sue so ill had been her body’s reaction to the treatment successfully killing her cancer cells. Over the next year, Sue’s tumours continued to shrink.

“It felt like a miracle was happening,” she said. “Six months went by, then a year and now it’s been eight years since my initial diagnosis.”

Psychological support

During her cancer journey, Sue benefitted from The Royal Marsden’s psychological support service, which is funded by The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Receiving psychological support during my cancer treatment saved my life in a completely different way.

“Once my chemotherapy treatment was over and my physical health started to improve, my mental health took a hit, and the experiences of the last six months hit me like a ton of bricks. I became incredibly depressed and acutely anxious.

“I saw a psychiatrist at The Royal Marsden which was a game changer for me. It helped me manage the symptoms and recover from what was a total breakdown at the time.

“Receiving psychological support during my cancer treatment saved my life in a completely different way. This is an area I’m very passionate about and have since worked all over the world setting up mental health and anti-stigma campaigns. Just two months after Pip was born, I got a letter from Buckingham Palace about my New Years honour for services to mental health. I was so proud to be awarded this OBE in 2016."

How Sue is doing now

Now, Sue visits The Royal Marsden every six months for scans.

“I still think about my cancer experience every day – it leaves a scar that won’t ever fade. It was so traumatising, but we’ll be eternally grateful to The Royal Marsden.”

In 2024 Sue and Alex joined The Banham Marsden March as a way to give back to the hospital: “thousands of us marching shoulder-to-shoulder through London – you could really feel the solidarity, support, and huge gratitude for all that The Royal Marsden do. I felt so lucky to be there.”

We are so grateful for everything The Royal Marsden teams provide.

Sue and Alex kissing at the starting line of the Banham Marsden March. There is a crowd of people with orange Banham Marsden March t-shirts standing behind them — Sue and Alex at the starting line of The Banham Marsden March 2024

“Pip is nearly eight years old now, and we didn’t expect for me to be here beyond her birth. The Royal Marsden has given us our family and our life together. Now, every milestone – every birthday, every school year – everything means so much more. You never take anything for granted.

“We are so grateful for everything The Royal Marsden teams provide. Without them, things would be so different.”