Emily’s Journey
In 2023 I had an abnormal smear test result, which lead to me having to have procedures to check for cancerous cells in my cervix. This was super scary, especially as this was my first ever smear when I turned 25 years old. It turned out to be a very small amount of changes to my cells, meaning I just had to have more regular smears than usual going forward to keep an eye on things.
Fast forward to summer 2024, I was experiencing symptoms I hadn’t had before and went to see my GP. I knew my body and I knew something was wrong, however after back and forth to my GP I was continuously told there was no concern and the symptoms I was experiencing were just “hormonal”. My symptoms worsened and I returned back to my GP demanding a second smear and to be referred to gynaecology.
After a year and a half of back and forth, with no doctors taking me seriously and being put on gynaecology waiting lists that were 9-12 months long, I was finally referred. After lots of fighting and demanding to be seen, I have now received treatment and procedures to remove pre-cancerous cells in my cervix and other gynaecological issues that would have been missed or ignored if I hadn’t have been so persistent with my doctors.
Today, and every day, 60 women in the UK will receive the life changing news of a gynaecological cancer diagnosis.
The Lady Garden Foundation is on a mission to raise significant funds for research that can drastically reduce the diagnoses and devastating outcomes of gynaecological cancers and gynaecological health issues for women everywhere.
Women’s health just isn’t taken seriously and everything is brushed off as hormonal or a contraception pill side effect. Too often women's symptoms are dismissed by doctors and it can be hard to have the confidence to advocate for yourself when a medical professional says there isn't anything wrong. This is a huge aspect that the Lady Garden Foundation are trying to change; empowering women with the knowledge that they know their bodies more than anyone and to continue pushing to get heard if something is abnormal for them.
I took part in the London to Brighton bike ride in the summer of 2025 to raise awareness for a charity that’s close to my heart.
We did it!!! London to Brighton completed in 5 hours and 49 mins.
As a previously unfit girly who only started their fitness journey a couple of years ago, this is the biggest fitness and endurance test I have ever done and I am bloody proud of myself! When I started training for this back in October 2024, I was 4 stone heavier, I hadn’t properly ridden a bike since I was a kid and this 55 mile route seemed impossible. Actual blood, sweat and tears went into our training and I lost count how many times I cried throughout the ride . It’s incredible what your body can do when you put your mind to it.
The feeling of crossing that finish line is indescribable! It made it even more special to have been able to do this with my dad, we’ve made a whole lot of memories throughout our 8 months of training and it was amazing to be able to do this together, a memory to last a lifetime!
Thank you so so much to everyone who donated to our fundraiser, we have raised almost £700 for a charity so close to my heart. After having a scare last year, supporting the work that the Lady Garden Foundation do to raise awareness and funds for gynaecological cancers was so incredibly important to me.’