Olivia's Diagnosis
Olivia Mason was 19 years old in January 2018, when she was diagnosed with a rare cancer called Hodgkin lymphoma which had already reached stage four.
Fortunately, Olivia was referred to The Royal Marsden to receive treatment.
She says
The consultant at my local hospital said that The Royal Marsden has a great track record of developing new, life-saving treatments. For me and my parents, this news gave us real hope that things might turn out okay for me.
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Olivia's Treatment
Olivia began chemotherapy in March 2018 and was treated every two weeks for nine months. She says the treatment made her feel lonely and depressed, as she had to drop out of university and suffered with tough side-effects of the chemotherapy. Happily the treatment Olivia received at The Royal Marsden was successful and she was given the all clear in September last year which came as a massive relief.
Your generous support could help to develop new treatments that don’t just save lives but also result in fewer physical problems for cancer patients.
My chemo led to me losing my hair, bloating up hugely, and my chest and neck would go tomato red for no reason. All of this was really hard to deal with, particularly losing my hair. But I know lots of people have to cope with even bigger and more serious side effects from their cancer treatment.
Life Now
Right now, Olivia is back at university, studying English language and linguistics, with the hope of becoming a primary school teacher in the future.
I know my story could have been very different without The Royal Marsden, the brilliant staff who work there and generous supporters like you.
I hope that by sharing my story I can make a difference. You really do help this incredible hospital save so many lives.
Make a donation
Your support helps the hospital to carry out pioneering cancer research, invest in state-of-the-art equipment, develop first-class patient environments and provide world-leading treatment and care for patients.
Thank you so much for your generous support, your donation will go to where the need is greatest in the hospital.