Meet Mila

Mila was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma when she was 19 whilst at university. Mila writes about how she navigated her diagnosis, and what it is like being a young person with cancer. "It is a misunderstood and isolating experience."

Hello, my name is Mila.

I am 21 years old and in the second year of my law degree. In September 2022, when I was 19 years old, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Since then, I have undergone four rounds of aggressive chemotherapy and have been dealing with the short and long-term side effects of this. ANer having my eggs frozen, I was put on infusions which would last all day, three days in a row, in a hospital two hours from my home.

The side effects of this treatment severely disrupted my life. Practically, I went from packing for my second year of university to managing symptoms with my medical team. I had to pause my studies as I was not well enough to engage. I was unable to work. I felt as if I’d stepped into another world – one of uncertainty, danger and vulnerability. It was hard seeing my friends continuing with their lives while it felt like mine was on hold.

 Alongside the physical side effects, I struggled to come to terms with my diagnosis emotionally as I couldn’t think of myself as ‘ill’.

Being diagnosed with cancer as a young person feels like being out of sync with your generation. It is a misunderstood and isolating experience. It feels like being in another world – one that most people perhaps do not see. 

Before I was diagnosed, I enjoyed hiking and walking in nature. This was something I missed immensely during my treatment. I used to look at the wall stickers on TYA floor and imagine myself back outside enjoying what I love.

I experienced a lot of muscle loss due to a combination of the medications I was on and the side effects of chemo, making it harder for me to exercise. Registering with the Ella Dawson Foundation was a significant turning point in terms of how I viewed my strength and emotional resilience since diagnosis.

I have been doing regular yoga sessions on Zoom with Katy, which have helped me incorporate exercise into my life, gradually build up my strength as well as find space for calm mindful moments in my day. The beautiful ‘Life Notes’ journal I use helps me to notice what I am thinking and feeling and get some clarity.

Their support has been an invaluable resource for me on my journey of returning to m studies and the challenges this brings.

Feeling so listened to and understood helps me feel connected and confident that there are people who know the challenges of having cancer as a young person. This empowers me to see myself as more than my diagnosis. 

"The Ella Dawson Foundation came into my life when I was at one of my weakest points. I was unable to see my friends because my immune system had been significantly knocked by the aggressive rounds of chemo I had been having. I had lost almost all of my strength - emotionally and physically.

The muscles in my legs had wasted away from the amount of time I was sitting on the sofa too nauseous, tired and anxious to even watch a TV show. The hiking I had been doing before my diagnosis felt like a distant memory of a past person and life. I was told about the Ella Dawson Foundation at my hospital (UCLH) and so I got in contact and was met very quickly with kindness and support.

I received a ‘Life Notes’ journal which helped me to start getting some of my messy and confusing feelings down onto paper where I could structure them on the pages and start to piece together what was happening in my internal world. The beautiful journal is like a reminder that I don’t have to stay stuck with my thoughts and I can change how much they dictate my day.

I also started doing regular yoga classes on zoom with Katy which became a time just for me. We combined strength building exercises with gentle relaxation and mindfulness exercises. This flow has worked so well for me and really allowed me to gently start to trust myself with exercise again after feeling like a stranger to my own body and appearance during my treatment. Some days my head feels so noisy and I have to remember to be kind to myself and to keep returning to whatever I am focusing on in the practice. Knowing that yoga sessions are part of my weekly life has helped me to build up more of a routine in other areas of my life such as eating and sleeping.

My family has seen a shift in me since I started doing my yoga classes and they have given me the chance to build up my physical and mental resilience in the face of retuning to university. The sessions have given me hope that I still have the strength and power to change how my life looks despite my diagnosis"