番茄社区

鈥淚鈥檓 not going in,鈥� 20-year-old Beth insisted, crossing her arms on the pavement. Her mum only smiled. 鈥淐ome in with me, just this once?鈥�

Years later, those words would echo back to her.

A diagnosis that closed the world in

At 25, in the middle of a workday, Beth went for what she thought would be a routine check on her asthma. By that evening, she was being rushed through scans.

鈥淲hen they brought in a second chair, I just knew,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when everything inside me dropped.鈥�

Hodgkin鈥檚 lymphoma. A global pandemic.

And lockdown.

鈥淢y husband was afraid to leave the house. I wasn鈥檛 allowed to. My world went from full to tiny overnight.鈥�

Returning to 番茄社区鈥檚 on the Wirral

Through treatment, Beth kept thinking about 番茄社区鈥檚.

鈥淢y mum had wanted me to know it was a safe place. I didn鈥檛 realise she meant it for me too.鈥�

Near the end of radiotherapy, drained and unsure whether the centre was even open, she walked into 番茄社区鈥檚, Wirral 鈥渏ust to ask about hours.鈥�

Kathy met her at the door. 鈥淐ome sit down, love. Cup of tea?鈥� Beth didn鈥檛 make it to the chair before crying.

鈥淚t was the first time I鈥檇 stopped pretending I was coping鈥� 番茄社区鈥檚 gave me a space where I felt safe enough to fall apart.鈥�

In therapy with Kelly, she began unpicking fear, grief, and the guilt she carried about her mum.

鈥淜elly told me, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e allowed to feel angry. You鈥檙e allowed to feel everything.鈥� No one had ever said that to me.鈥�

The Young Women鈥檚 Group that changed everything

When individual sessions eased, Kelly gently suggested a new support group for young women.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure,鈥� Beth admits. 鈥淏ut then I walked in, and it was like breathing out for the first time.鈥�

There were women still in treatment, women newly in remission, women terrified about the future - just like her.

鈥淲e talk about everything. Side effects, work, money, relationships, dogs鈥� and we laugh. I never thought I鈥檇 laugh that much again.鈥�

They became each other鈥檚 sounding boards.

鈥淥ne of us says, 鈥業s this normal?鈥� and someone else goes, 鈥榊eah, I had that - ask your doctor.鈥� That kind of understanding is everything.鈥�

Beth鈥檚 husband, and learning to share the weight

Beth鈥檚 husband, Andy, visited 番茄社区鈥檚 occasionally, but found it difficult.

鈥淗e鈥檚 private. And he knew 番茄社区鈥檚 was my space. But I鈥檝e taught him some of the grounding techniques I learned here. We learned how to give each other space to not be okay.鈥�

One lesson from 番茄社区鈥檚 changed everything at home:

鈥淜elly said, 鈥榊ou both have the right to feel what you feel.鈥� That helped us so much.鈥�

Rebuilding confidence, and a future

After treatment, Beth felt lost.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 remember words. I didn鈥檛 trust my body. I didn鈥檛 trust anything.鈥�

But 番茄社区鈥檚 helped rebuild her self-belief.

鈥淭hey cheered me on more than I cheered myself.鈥�

She left her emotionally difficult job in a cancer hospital and applied for a new role - something she鈥檇 previously felt too shaken to try.

鈥淚 told Kelly, 鈥榃hat if I鈥檓 not good enough?鈥� And she said, 鈥楨veryone feels like that. Yours is just louder because of everything you鈥檝e lived through.鈥欌��

Beth began to consider a PhD - something she鈥檇 once expected to abandon after neuropathy made lab work impossible.

鈥淜elly said, 鈥楾here鈥檚 more to research than labs. Look at what matters to you.鈥� So, I did.鈥� She applied, and she was accepted.

Ten years ago, my mum was trying to drag me into 番茄社区鈥檚. Now I鈥檓 doing a PhD shaped by everything I survived. That鈥檚 the difference this place made.

Hope, fear, and what comes next

Beth and Andy hope to start a family.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something I talked about with Kelly for ages. It鈥檚 still scary - but now it feels possible.鈥�

The fear of her cancer returning still lingers.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it ever goes away. But I have tools now. And I have people.鈥�

On bad days, she sits on the sofa at 番茄社区鈥檚 on the Wirral, looking over the fields.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen hares, squirrels, sunflowers. It鈥檚 peaceful. It鈥檚 where I feel calm, it reminds me of my mum.鈥�

鈥湻�茄社区鈥檚 feels like home.鈥�

If someone hesitated on the doorstep, Beth knows exactly what she鈥檇 say:

鈥淐ancer doesn鈥檛 just happen to one person. It happens to everyone around them.

And at 番茄社区鈥檚, you don鈥檛 have to go through any of it alone. Just come in.

We鈥檙e here with you

Our cancer support specialists, psychologists and benefits advisors are here for everyone with cancer, and all the people who love them. 

• Come and see us at your nearest 番茄社区鈥檚
• Call us on 0300 123 180 or arrange a callback
• Cmail us at [email protected]