She was diagnosed with cancer two months ago, adding to a catalogue of physical and mental health conditions, including alopecia and hyper bipolar disorder.
However, this inspirational 59-year-old from Blyth still finds the time and energy to help those she deems less fortunate than herself.
Fiona Bissett, who moved to Northumberland from Scotland in 2006, volunteers her time each week to provide food, clothing and toiletries for the homeless and those struggling financially.
And despite her battles, selfless Fiona explains: “I have been given this time and I want to use it purposefully.
"These little trotters are not leaving this earth until I have done as much as I can.”
For the last year and a half, every Thursday between noon and 1.30pm, Fiona and her friend, Joyce Starbuck, have served up a hot three course meal at St Cuthbert’s Church in Blyth for those in need.
The pair has seen demand for the community lunch soar from around 15 attendees each week, to an average of 60 people currently using the service.
Speaking about the community lunch, Fiona said: “The gratitude you receive from the people who come to the church is unbelievable and I feel so valued.
“I’ve never felt valued in my life and I don’t feel like I’m doing anything different from anybody else.”
Fiona’s cancer, which started in the lungs, has since spread to her gallbladder and liver and continues to spread; meaning medical professionals are unable to treat it.
While she has decided not to find out how long she has left, she explains that the bipolar disorder she was diagnosed with at 21-years-old has helped her to remain positive during this heartbreaking time.
She adds: “As long as I keep fighting, every morning I tell myself ‘be positive and keep smiling’ and
every evening before I go to bed I tell myself again, so I keep feeding into this positive attitude.”
Her continued positivity is admirable when you consider the additional difficulties Fiona has faced in her past.
Fiona explains that her mother left the family when she was just five-years-old, which led to a difficult childhood and the breakdown of a number of relationships in the family.
At 12-years-old, she began to suffer with agoraphobia, which made it impossible for her to leave the house some days, and later she was also diagnosed with depression.
Volunteering has helped Fiona to manage her mental health, and has also allowed her to feel like she is making a difference, which she defines as ‘giving back to the social fund’.
Fiona adds: “There are always people worse off than me and I keep giving because I’m a true believer in the social fund of the world.
“You can’t keep taking out because if everybody took out it would run dry, so you must put back in when you’re ready.
“That has been my philosophy all of these years - always give back when you can.”
