Chapter 1

Amy was a 20 year old, second year student at Lincoln University when she suddenly started with difficulties breathing. After weeks of hospital visits and multiple medications with no improvements, the doctors put Amy’s symptoms down to a possible cyst on her thyroid and prepared to remove it, and took a biopsy to confirm. This revealed that Amy in fact had a tumour next to her windpipe, and on the 6th February 2013, she was diagnosed with lyposarcoma; a very rare cell/tissue cancer in her lower neck.

Amy was transferred to Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, to prepare for an operation to remove as much of the tumour as possible. We were told the numerous risks and complications; inevitably being left with a sizeable scar, and the high risk of paralysing her vocal chords leaving her never speaking again were our best hope, the other likely risks and outcomes were unthinkable. Amy being Amy, nodded and smiled and told the consultants to do what they had to.

Over the following days, Amy’s health deteriorated significantly.

On the 18th February, she went into theatre, for what was a very difficult 8 hour operation, where they were forced to perform a tracheostomy. Amy spent 2 weeks in critical care. Seeing her in such a state was horrific, but Amy’s smile was what got us through, even the hospital staff were amazed by her positivity and infectious smile – even with a tracheostomy and the fact one vocal chord was paralysed during the procedure meaning she had lost the ability to speak.

Weeks later, she was transferred back to Doncaster hospital. I still remember the emotional day I walked into the hospital to find her sat grinning at me, and albeit very quiet, she said ‘Hello’! After therapy and practice, her voice became more normal and the paralysed vocal chord didn’t seem to be affecting her to the amazement of the consultant, within days she was singing to us – a sign we were getting our Amy back! She was able to start walking and eating again, and a few weeks later, she came home.

Adapting to life with a tracheostomy wasn’t easy, but she did so well – it meant several sessions on a nebuliser each day, cleaning and constant soreness on her neck, she had to change the tube at night for sleeping. But she pushed on with normality and even took shifts at her previous waitressing job, still intending to return to her studies at university. Everything was looking more positive than could have ever been expected.