The cancer has returned – just nine months after Kelly Hill was given all-clear
Kelly Hill receiving treatment at the Royal Stoke University Hospital
Loved-ones are rallying around a brave mum-of-two as she battles a life-threatening breast cancer relapse. Kelly Hill – known at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court through her work as a barrister as Kelly Cyples – received the grave news in September.
The 41-year-old had received her original diagnosis at the Royal Stoke University Hospital in February 2024 after discovering an ‘unusual bump’ while showering. A precautionary trip to the doctors resulted in her receiving unimaginable news – learning that the small tumour had already spread to her lymph nodes.
Kelly told StokeonTrentLive: “I did about 21 weeks of different kinds of chemotherapy. Then I had a bit of radiotherapy. And, in December last year, I got to ring the all-clear bell. I thought I was all good. They told me that I’m cancer free and that they’d managed to get everything out. I was placed on preventative treatment and it seemed like that was that.
“This year, I went back to work to try to recoup some of the earnings I’d missed out on last year after having all that time off. I was trying my hardest to get back our security. Then I didn’t feel very well in September. I had severe lower back pain, exhaustion and a persistent cough.
“Luckily my doctor was very proactive. He didn’t dismiss me. He looked at my history and sent me off for scans and blood tests. Then I was in court one day when I got a call from my GP. They said something seemed really wrong and told me to go straight to A&E. They weren’t sure if it was sepsis or something else. I had to abandon the trial and rush off to the hospital.
“I got there thinking I probably had a severe kidney infection. But then they showed me the scans and said ‘Sorry, your cancer has spread’. It had gone into my bones, my lungs, my liver and my lymph nodes. Unfortunately it seems like it’s quite aggressive. Normally they can find what’s fuelling it and block it, but they can’t explain what’s feeding mine.”
Kelly Hill, pictured with husband Nathan Hill, is fighting cancer yet again
Kelly says the blind-siding diagnosis – and subsequent rediagnosis – ‘turned her world upside down’.
“It was totally unexpected,” she explained. “We weren’t prepared for it at all – not yet at least. I knew one in two people get cancer, but I thought that was because of all the older people getting it. I thought that’s just because we have an aging population with lots of us getting into our 90s all of a sudden. I never thought it’d happen to me at 39.
“We have two young children. They’re very upset about it. I’m careful what I say to them. They know about my diagnosis and my rediagnosis. But they don’t know about any of the details or the prognosis. It would be too much for them.”
Kelly’s illness means she has had to spend more than a year off work. As a self-employed public barrister, she receives no sick pay – leaving the family under financial strain.
Kelly and Nathan Hill say their family finances have been left strained
She added: “I didn’t have any of the insurance in place when I got diagnosed. And once you’ve had cancer, none of the insurance companies will touch you. They might if you’re cancer-free for many years, but I only went cancer free for just under a year. That means I can’t get any critical illness cover or income protection. So now we’re back in the same position we were last year, where my income has stopped abruptly.
“Financially, it’s been very difficult. That’s why my friend has started this GoFundMe page. They’re throwing a fundraiser on December 19, with a tractor run and an evening event. The tractor run will be lots of tractors spruced up for Christmas driving around the area, a bit like the Toy Run. The money will be going to support my family.
“My biggest message to everyone who is 18 and above is to get insurance. Not just life insurance. You need stuff to keep you afloat while you’re still here. Because you never know when you’re going to need it. I didn’t think I would at 39. It was on my list of things to do, but I put it off because I was still young. But I was definitely wrong!”
You can support Kelly and her family by visiting her GoFundMe page, here.
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