Watford singer stars in short film about her cancer journey
A rock signer who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 24 has starred in a short film and performed alongside James Arthur as part of a fundraising gig. Grace Kelly, from Watford, was diagnosed with leukaemia when she noticed a rash that would not disappear. "It wasn't until I was getting towards the end of my treatment that I started writing again," she said. Ms Kelly, who is part of the alternative rock band VENUS GRRRLS, performed with her band at the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs on Wednesday.
In March 2022, Grace Kelly visited the GP multiple times with symptoms of a sore throat and rash. In the July she was referred for a bone marrow biopsy and was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. Talking about when she was diagnosed, she said: "I zoned out and felt like I couldn't hear.""My parents were in the waiting room, and it killed me to tell them. I felt like I had let them down," she added.
"Our second or third single came out in the midst of all of my tests, so it was a very strange time."On Wednesday, Ms Kelly and her band performed alongside James Arthur as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs. Founded by The Who's Roger Daltrey in 2000, artists performed at the Royal Albert Hall across multiple dates, including members of The Sex Pistols as headliners.
She also shared her story by starring in a short film, shown at the gig, about her experiences with the disease.The film was played before the headliner's performance, and featured Ms Kelly, her partner Jack, and best friend and bandmate Hannah. During the film, Ms Kelly pays tribute to Teenage Cancer Trust and all the staff at the charity's unit.Since finishing her treatment in March 2023, she has performed with the band at Reading and Leeds Festival.
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