Faith's Story

Last summer (2025), Faith noticed a lump in her neck. We initially thought it was just an enlarged lymph node caused by an infection, but since she hadn’t been ill and the lump was growing, we made a GP appointment.

Following GP and hospital appointments, along with various tests, Faith was diagnosed on October 31st, 2025, with a rare soft tissue sarcoma. It was later confirmed as Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma. We were in complete shock that she had cancer, and it was a type we had never even heard of before.

November was a whirlwind of appointments and procedures to get Faith ready for her treatment. It was incredibly intense for her, and the hardest day involved having a bone marrow aspiration, a lumbar puncture, and a PICC line fitted all in one day.

At the start of December, Faith began her treatment. She has since endured nine rounds of gruelling chemotherapy, alongside Proton Beam Therapy. This was a very intense period that required Faith and me (mum) to stay in London for six weeks.

Faith’s recent scans have shown shrinkage. She is currently waiting for the results of one more scan, and another is already booked. She has now started maintenance chemotherapy, which so far is easier to manage as it comes, in tablet form.

I have felt exhausted travelling alongside Faith on this journey, so I can only imagine how hard it has been for her. She has had to deal with so much and hasn’t been able to enjoy life the way a 20-year-old should (she was just 19 when diagnosed). Despite it all, she has amazed us with how she has coped with every treatment, all while keeping her dark sense of humour!

Faith is now hoping to return to her Art and Design course this September—which she had only just started before her diagnosis and had to defer—and looks forward to finally doing normal 20-year-old things. Such as, having some more adventures with her best friend Mollie.

The time since Faith’s diagnosis has been incredibly hard for her and has had a massive impact on our entire family. Faith, her dad James, sister Libby and me her mum, are really looking forward to, and are so grateful for, the opportunity to have this break together to enjoy some relaxing family time.

A huge thank you to the Ben Saunders Foundation for providing this for us.

With thanks and love for all you do.
Hilary Seymour