Latest news with #cancerjourney
The Sun
a day ago
- Health
- The Sun
David Brooks to become a dad for first time just four years after Bournemouth and Wales star beat cancer
DAVID BROOKS feels "lucky" he will become a dad - fearing it would never happen after his cancer diagnosis. The Bournemouth winger's wife Flora revealed last weekend she is pregnant, with the pair expecting their first baby in November. 4 4 Brooks revealed the possibility of parent life was in doubt when he battled stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021. The 27-year-old said: "When I was diagnosed, I had those conversations and there was never any guarantees that I would be able to have children in the future. "There was a chance that it wouldn't have been possible. I was really lucky that it's happened naturally. "After the treatment, everything has gone back to normal. I'm really happy. "I always wanted to start a family. My wife and I always wanted kids at some point. 'My situation took it out of my hands, so it's very nice that everything has happened naturally and progressed into being a family. "I'm really looking forward to it and I know my wife is, even though she's the pregnant one and going through all that. "I'm delighted - there were a few tears and now we're really looking forward to it. We're still a few months away - but I can't wait." Before Brooks has to contend with nappies and sleepless nights, the Cherries attacker aims to extend Craig Bellamy's unbeaten start to life as Wales boss. The Dragons have now gone eight matches without defeat and expect to make that nine at home to Liechtenstein in Cardiff tomorrow. Premier League club move into incredible new home that resembles futurist James Bond villain lair 4 But then Wales face a tough trip to Group J favourites Belgium on Monday night. Brooks ensured Bellamy has not tasted a loss yet with a 96th-minute equaliser in North Macedonia in March. He added: "It instills a bit of fear into who we are playing because other teams know we aren't going to give up. It's a massive positive. "It gives us confidence and makes the opposition wary." Brooks made 33 appearances for Bournemouth across all competitions last season - but that included just 12 starts. The wideman said: "It's always a bit frustrating. I had a good patch of starting games and I thought I was playing well. 'I've been out a long time and that was the reason I went out on loan to Southampton last year. 'But I don't want to get to the end of my career and have half of my appearances on the bench. "I'm always looking to play more games and looking to make the best impact at club level when I get the opportunity. "I'm in good fitness and form and confident I can make a difference over the next two Wales games."
The Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Help! I don't know what I'm doing with my life
I've been watching Michelle Williams portray Molly Kochan in Dying for Sex on Disney+ – and it's made me seriously reflect on my own life. In the show, Michelle (as Molly) gets diagnosed with stage four cancer and decides to blow up her existing relationship in the pursuit of pleasure. Cue: a lot of sex, some good – some bad – and some serious self-reflection. She ends up finding out exactly who she is and what she wants. And even though the story is heartbreakingly tragic, watching it made me realise one thing: that I'm jealous. Because even though she is dying, she's figured it all out – and I haven't. I don't know what I want or who I am! I'm 45 – I'm supposed to have it all nailed by now: be settled in my marriage, with kids, a good career and a house. So why don't I? Am I having some sort of clichéd midlife crisis? Existential angst Dear existential angst, I've had a slew of similar letters recently from people of all different generations – from twenties to fifties, Gen Z to boomers. You really are not alone – that may help ease your discomfort a little, or it may not. But I certainly don't think that what you are feeling deserves to be called 'cliché'. At some point we all – every single one of us – experience what I like to refer to as a 'dark night of the soul' (and in truth, it's usually a little longer than a single night). It can happen at any age when we don't know who we are or where we are supposed to be – yet all around us lies the pressure of these two words: 'supposed to'. In our hyper-dynamic, over-achieving society, we feel like we are 'supposed to' do all the things you mention in your letter: marry, have kids, an ace career, get a mortgage. When in reality, we're living through austerity, the gender pay gap and a dating, fertility and housing crisis – not to mention the ongoing struggle to reconcile our position within a world facing widespread global unrest, war and famine. None of this is easy. If you're feeling anxious and uneasy, it is entirely understandable. I want you to know that I don't take what you're feeling lightly – but I do believe that what you're experiencing at the moment isn't just incidental, it is critical. However uncomfortable it feels, it is fundamental to your personal growth. It is part of the human process. And at 45, it's just a marvel it's waited this long to blossom. Well done for fending it off for so long. I believe that underscoring the existential ennui, paralysis and angst you describe is a period of profound internal change. We go for years focusing on the next step in front of us. As we grow and develop from childhood to teens, to young adults who enter higher education or the workforce, everything is laid out. Planned. We know where we are expected to be. If our own family doesn't set the path for us, society does. And then at some point, we stop blindly and ambitiously taking great leaps forward and we ... pause. We stop progressing in a straight line and finally take space to look around us at what we have (or don't have). Sometimes, these periods of self-reflection coincide with a major life event – bereavement, birth, marriage or divorce. It's at that critical juncture that we catch our breath and think about whether it's what we actually want. This period can be exciting, overwhelming, even frightening – but it's also crucial. If you don't pause and slow and take time to 'check in' with yourself (from your body to your heart and mind) then you're anaesthetised to what is most important: self-reflection. You can't translate what makes you happy and fulfilled if you're disconnected from your feelings. Writing things down always helps me make sense of inner turbulence: so start with what is at the top of your 'worry list' right now. Then, as roughly as makes sense, use it as a flow chart to find all the small ingredients, nameless fears and anxieties that are contributing to that. Once they're down on paper, just for you to see, you can try and look at ways to solve them or to enact meaningful change. A very important note: when we feel like you do, it can be tempting to act rashly. To blow up that relationship, to quit that job. I don't want you to act – but I do want you to write down how you are feeling, to breathe and then to sit on it, for a while. You're pausing now, so pause some more. Take your time to figure out if this is a panic response or if you want actual change. Above all, I want you to try to take the fear away from what you're going through. I want you to reframe this 'crisis' and think of it as not just normal, but vital. I want you to applaud yourself for taking that breath and that pause; for being brave and willing to look at your life and scrutinise the bits you might want to build on, change or improve. And I want you to lean in.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Stanford professor turns his terminal cancer diagnosis into a class on life, death and hope
Dr. Bryant Lin thought his lingering cough was just allergies. Six weeks later, the Stanford University professor received devastating news: stage 4 lung cancer. The irony wasn't lost on Lin, who had spent years researching and teaching about non-smoker lung cancer. "I become the poster child for the disease," he said. Lin, who never smoked and wasn't exposed to secondhand smoke, represents a growing demographic. For Asians, the odds are higher. Asian women have twice the rate of non-smoker lung cancer than non-Asian women, according to Lin and recent studies. Rather than retreat from his diagnosis, the 50-year-old Lin made an unprecedented decision: He created a Stanford course centered around his cancer journey, giving medical students an unfiltered view of terminal illness from a patient's perspective. "I have stage four lung cancer, which is not curable," Lin told his class. "I will likely die of this cancer or something related to this cancer. It may be one year, it may be two years, it may be five years, I really don't know." The course aimed to rebalance medical education by showing students what patients truly experience. "Even though I knew what a patient goes through as a doctor, I didn't really know," Lin explained. By week three, Lin was documenting his chemotherapy treatments for students, sharing both physical symptoms and emotional struggles. "Feeling nauseous. Avoided the Chipotle today because of that," he told his class. Despite his terminal prognosis, Lin remains focused on living rather than preparing for death. His priorities center on family time with his wife, Christine, and their two sons, 17-year-old Dominic and 13-year-old Atticus. The family has been candid about Lin's diagnosis and prognosis. Lin has written letters to his sons for when he's no longer there, telling them: "Whether I'm here or not, I want you to know I love you. Of the many things I've done that have given my life meaning, being your daddy is the greatest of all." Lin's teaching philosophy extends beyond medical knowledge and also focuses on kindness and the power of hope. "It's easy to forget to be kind when you're sick," he said. "It's easy to forget to be kind when you're not feeling well, when you're busy, when life has got you down." The course opened with a letter from a former patient who wrote: "You treated me like you would treat your own father." The patient died two weeks after writing the letter. "He spent time writing a letter for me during his last hours, days of life," Lin said emotionally. "And in a way, this class is part of my letter, my way of giving back to my community." At the course's conclusion, Lin channeled Lou Gehrig's famous farewell speech, telling his students: "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I know I had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for." David Begnaud loves uncovering the heart of every story and will continue to do so, highlighting everyday heroes and proving that there is good news in the news with his exclusive "CBS Mornings" series, "Beg-Knows America." Every Monday, get ready for moments that will make you smile or even shed a tear. Do you have a story about an ordinary person doing something extraordinary for someone else? Email David and his team at DearDavid@
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'I got cancer at 24 - it can happen to you too'
"My doctors' surgery kept telling me I was too young, it couldn't possibly be breast cancer. I got dismissed for about six months."When Alice Greaves found a lump in her breast aged 24, she was told by a doctor she was "too young" for cancer. It was not until she pushed for a follow-up that she was finally diagnosed with stage three breast cancer - which would eventually spread to her lungs and brain. Now 26 and living with incurable cancer, Alice is determined to use her experience to help others by sharing her story on social media to challenge the myth that cancer only happens later in life. Two years on since her diagnosis, Alice, from Old Dalby in Leicestershire, has undergone a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery. In May 2024, she was told the cancer had spread to her lungs. She had five tumours over her two lungs. Then, in March 2025, she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Alice is currently living with stage four breast cancer, which she says is treatable, but incurable. "It is heartbreaking, because deep down I always knew that something wasn't quite right," she said.A spokesperson for NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board said: "Although we are unable to discuss the details of individual cases, we are very sorry to hear about Alice's diagnosis."If you are worried that you may have cancer you should come forward immediately to be checked in person by your GP."Treatment is more likely to be successful if cancer is diagnosed early, so it is vital not to ignore any changes to your body's normal processes or unusual, unexplained symptoms." 'The goal is to save lives' "On the way home from my diagnosis, my partner said, 'just remember - if anyone can, Alice can'."It's a phrase that stuck, and Alice decided to make it the name of her Instagram and TikTok accounts. Under the handle "if anyone can, Alice can", she documents the highs and lows of life with cancer, speaking openly about her misdiagnosis, and how symptoms in younger people are often overlooked. "Too many people get told they are too young. My tumour was 24 millimetres in size when I was diagnosed - it literally took up my whole breast. "It's so wrong that it got to that stage." According to Cancer Research UK, there are about 2,300 new cancer cases in young people every year, which is more than six every day. Whilst the charity said it was less common, Alice said it was vital young people know how to spot the signs and were taken seriously when they do. "I get so many messages on a daily basis from people thanking me for encouraging them to get checked. "It's really nice to know I've helped someone else," she her diagnosis, Alice has raised more than £250,000 for cancer charities. She is also an ambassador for the Leicester-based charity, Hope Against year, she raised more than £96,000 for the charity by cycling 126 miles (202km). This summer she will be back in the saddle, training for another long-distance ride and hoping to raise even more funds for cancer research, all while undergoing chemotherapy. Chief executive of Hope Against Cancer Nigel Rose said: "Alice has helped us to continue funding two expert research nurses at the Hope Cancer trial centre at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, where patients take part in clinical trials that can lead to new treatments and drugs. "By telling her story, she's done amazing things for us and cancer research locally."In recognition of her fundraising work, Alice was recently invited to Buckingham Palace to meet the King. Alice urges others to listen to their bodies and trust their gut. She said: "You need to get to know your normal. If you don't know your body, then how will you know anything's wrong?"You're not looking for cancer, you're simply getting to know yourself. Then if you come across something different, you know to get it checked."The NHS says common symptoms of breast cancer can include:A new lump or area of thickened tissue in the breastChanges to the skin such as puckering or dimplingChanges in the size or shape of one or both breastsDischarge from the nipple or a change in its appearance
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
TikTok star who documented stage 4 brain cancer journey dies at 19
Anna Grace Phelan, a young TikTok star who documented her stage 4 brain cancer journey, died Friday, according to a message posted to her TikTok account. She was 19. "It is with great sadness to announce that our beautiful daughter, Anna Grace Phelan, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," a statement from her family read. Phelan, of Jefferson, Georgia, shared updates on her health with more than 100,000 followers, garnering millions of views on her videos. "So many of you have followed her journey through a difficult battle with cancer and bore witness to her powerful testimony of faith," the post read. Phelan graduated high school in May 2024, and days before starting her freshman year of college, was diagnosed with an inoperable stage 4 malignant brain tumor, a GoFundMe for her states. She first took to TikTok in August to share a medical update, saying in a video she began having a myriad of symptoms, starting with numbness in the left side of her face and right leg for several weeks. An MRI revealed a lesion on her brain that was biopsied to determine if it was cancerous. Phelan posted an update video stating that on Sept. 5, she was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain tumor. "This is definitely the hardest news I've ever received by all means," she said in the video. "This is not easy. I'm just going to trust in the Lord and try to keep pushing forward." She continued to post about her medical journey, from her radiation and steroid treatments to physical therapy. On May 14, in one of her last update videos, Phelan said her health had taken a turn for the worse, and her tumor had grown, making her unable to be operated on. "It would take a miracle to fix me here on earth, but I'm not giving up yet," she said. Phelan was working as a receptionist at Georgia Skin Cancer and Aesthetic Dermatology, according to her obituary. She is survived by her parents, William 'Buddy' and Nadine Phelan, a brother, Harper David Phelan, and other family members. A funeral service will be held Thursday at Galilee Christian Church, of which Anna Phelan was a member. "Thank you for the countless thousands of prayers for healing and peace," her family said in a statement. This article was originally published on
