A trainee midwife had the worst week of her life when her house burned down just after she discovered her cancer had returned - but now she's beaten it for the second time.
Emily Barker, 30, was diagnosed with the blood cancer Hodgkin's lymphoma in June 2019, which she called Bill, and, together with her carer fiancé Keil Flaherty, 30, and their twins Mia and Willow, six, dubbed her chemotherapy 'Kill Bill.'
After the treatment came to an end, Emily thought she had it beaten but soon she got the dreaded call saying her cancer had returned - so soon she was back in hospital and she beat it again.
Then, she was told she would need a stem-cell transplant to stop the cancer returning but there was no match - so she set up her own social media campaign to find one.
What do you think about Emily's incredible story? Let us know in the comments...
Emily, a midwifery student, of Crofton, Yorkshire, who is having her transplant today at St James's University Hospital in Leeds, said: "I have to admit that 2020 was my worst year ever, as my cancer had returned and I lost my home.
"The fire was devastating. It even meant postponing my cancer treatment by four months, as I had no fixed address to isolate in.
“But I refused to give up, was found emergency accommodation with the help of my MP, Yvette Cooper, and now I’m cancer-free and receiving my stem cells today.
"I can't believe I found a donor. But the best part is knowing that by gaining so many followers to my campaign - many of them going on to join the donor register - I’ve also helped others to find matches.”
Emily first realised there was something wrong in early 2019 when she started feeling a severe pain in her left shoulder whenever she drank alcohol.
Initially, it was thought the pain was down to her weight, but soon the shocking truth was discovered and treatment began - and after chemo, it was thought that Emily was cancer-free.
But Emily was heartbroken when, in March 2020, doctors revealed her cancer had returned - only that this time it was more aggressive.
Then, just seven days later, a devastating fire destroyed their family home and all their possessions – leaving them homeless and having to sofa surf with relatives for four months.
She continued: "In January 2020 a scan revealed what looked like scar tissue on my lungs.
“But, over eight months, it started to grow and by the time it reached eight centimetres I had a biopsy and discovered in March 2020 that it was cancer.
“I was heartbroken, but seven days later, a fire engulfed our house leaving our family homeless.
"A glass left on a deckchair in the garden had become like a magnifying glass and caused the door and house to catch alight.
“Luckily, none of us were harmed but we lost everything. It was our family home where the twins took their first steps.
“I just remember crying on the lawn as I watched my house burn down.”
Back in treatment in June 2020, Emily had a difficult 13 months ahead of her - before finally being told she was in remission in August 2021.
Despite the good news, Emily was not yet out of danger, as her medical team felt she needed a blood stem cell transfusion or her cancer was at high risk of returning - but no match could be found on the database, making her outlook bleak.
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“Doctors told me that my cancer would return quickly,” she said.
“I needed a blood stem cell donor right away, but I didn’t have a match on the database. After everything I’d been through I couldn’t give up now.
“I had to do all I could to stay with my family.”
Refusing to be defeated, Emily started her incredibly successful video campaign to attract stem cell donors and in September this year, just a week before turning 30, she discovered she had a match.
She continued: “But as I prepared to turn 30 in September, not knowing what the future would hold, I was shocked when I was contacted to say a match had been found.
“I have no idea if the donor came from my social media campaign, but I like to hope so.”
Starting her transfusion today, Emily is now excitedly looking to the future with her family and plans to marry the love of her life in March 2022 in front of 65 friends and family in a modern country barn in Staffordshire.
For more information about stem cell donation go to www.anthonynolan.org/JoinForEmily
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