Chrissy's Story

"I know my limits a bit more because I’ve been able to push them with that support."

Chrissy sitting with her legs over the back of the boat, smiling at the camera

Chrissy was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma just before her graduation, her sense of normality disappearing overnight. The Trust has helped her get back on track.

I was two weeks out from graduating university. My whole future was ahead of me, then I got diagnosed. It felt like my world came crashing down. I still feel like I’m trying to climb a mountain to get back to whatever kind of normal was.

This was in 2019, so a few months before the pandemic, and it was tough going through treatment during that time.

I had quite an aggressive tumour, the size of a grapefruit, and it started breaking the surrounding bones, so I was left with just one shoulder.

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Daunting

Going sailing was quite surreal. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do anything like it. I’d opted out of quite a few things since having one working arm. The fact the Trust caters for our age group too is amazing, as we don’t really get that support.

I didn’t know how much I’d be able to get involved. I didn’t know if people would get annoyed by me, because my arm was completely in a sling. Just meeting new people can be quite daunting itself.

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But the Trust said you can get involved as much or as little as you want, and they help you all the way if you need that extra hand.

I felt quite proud of myself that I managed to do the ropes and even steer the boat with one arm. It really is boosted my confidence in my body. I know my limits a bit more because I’ve been able to push them with that support. I felt more optimistic about the future.