'I found a lump on my neck I thought was flu but it was cancer'
When Ezzy Pearson felt a lump on the side of her neck, she was not immediately worried. She has just started at university and put it down to "freshers' flu", a common sickness many new university students contract after meeting lots of new people.
However, what started as a runny nose, fatigue and a persistent cough turned out to be a form of cancer known as Hodgkin lymphoma. Ezzy, from Bristol, was just 18 when she received her diagnosis.
She said: "On the Wednesday of Freshers' Week, I noticed a lump on the side of my neck and just felt really rubbish. I was constantly carrying around a box of tissues and assumed it was just Freshers' Flu. But when it hadn't cleared up after a month, I went to the GP."
Following several blood tests, she was referred to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist. Following a biopsy on the unusual lump in her neck, she was given the diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer originating from the body's lymphatic system, a crucial part of our immune defence.
Despite undergoing six months of chemotherapy, she sat all her first-year university exams, including one just hours after a treatment session. Fast forward nearly two decades, Ezzy, 37, is now cancer-free and participating in the Race for Life in honour of her mum, Jo, who tragically lost her battle with lung cancer at 64.
Ezzy - now holding the role of Commissions Editor at BBC Science Focus magazine - is vowing to support the research that gave her a second chance at life. Ezzy said: "If I'd been born 30 years earlier, that diagnosis could have been a death sentence. But thanks to advances in research - much of it funded by organisations like Cancer Research UK - I had access to treatment that saved my life."
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She was heartbroken when she lost her mum, saying: "I was devastated when my mum died. She was a smoker, and I know there's a lot of stigma around lung cancer because of that - but it's more complex than people realise. Everyone deserves compassion and support, no matter how their illness came about."
She remembers her mother as an inventive Scout leader, and feels her own creativity and writing talents are inherited from her. Now settled with her partner Sam, whom she met shortly after losing her mother, Ezzy continues looking forward.
Although Jo and Sam never got the chance to meet, Ezzy has discovered touching ways to bridge the gap. Ezzy will have the honour of setting off the start of this year's Bristol Cancer Research UK Race for Life wearing her late mother's engagement ring.
Ezzy said: "After my mum passed, I started wearing her engagement ring on my right hand. When Sam and I signed our mortgage together, I moved it to my left. It was my way of letting her know I planned on keeping him, even if I couldn't tell her in person."
The event will take place on Sunday, June 22, where Ezzy will trigger the starting horn for almost 2,000 runners bracing themselves for either the 5k or the 10k at The Downs in Stoke Road. They will all be rallying for Cancer Research UK's leading fundraising event in Bristol.
Ezzy continued: "I'm so excited and honoured to be starting Race for Life Bristol. It's a powerful reminder of how far we've come in cancer research - and how much more we can achieve together."
She urged others to join in, saying: "Race for Life is just a great experience. It's not about being the fastest or the best. It doesn't matter if you run, walk or hop like a bunny - it's about coming together and doing something fantastic for a great cause."
The upcoming weekend is full of fundraising activities, kicking off with Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids obstacle races on Saturday, June 21. In the south west alone, around 37,300 individuals receive a cancer diagnosis each year.
The Race for Life, sponsored by Standard Life (a part of Phoenix Group), brings communities together through a variety of events such as 3k, 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy, and Pretty Muddy Kids runs across the nation. The series gathers millions each year to raise crucial funds for cancer research. Cancer Research UK's spokesperson for the South West, Ruth Amies, said: "We're incredibly grateful to Ezzy for being our VIP starter at Race for Life Bristol."
She added: "No matter how cancer affects us, life is worth racing for. Sadly nearly 1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime but all of us can support the research that will beat it."
Talking about the event's success and its significant role, she said: "We're proud that Race for Life has had such a positive impact. Every pound raised supports our life-saving work, which has helped double cancer survival in the UK over the last 50 years."
Ruth added: "Our events are strictly non-competitive which means everyone can have a go- and love every minute. There's no pressure to finish in a certain time, just give it what you can. Lace up and join in.
"Whether people are living with cancer, taking part in honour of or in memory of a loved one with cancer, in it for the medals or just for the fun of fundraising, there is a place for everyone."
Since launching in 1994, Race for Life has welcomed more than 10 million participants who've raised copious amounts vital for research efforts.
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