My name is Lorraine, and for many years I have proudly run my small beauty salon and training academy in Cornwall. I have spent my career helping others feel good about themselves, supporting my clients, teaching students, and building a business that I love from the ground up.

I never imagined I would find myself in a position where I needed to ask for help, but this year my life changed overnight.

In January 2026, after months of ongoing digestive symptoms, In the months leading up to my diagnosis, I repeatedly sought medical help as my symptoms became increasingly concerning. Having undergone gallbladder surgery the previous year, much of the focus appeared to remain on my previous digestive issues. Even as I continued to experience ongoing symptoms and raised concerns about how unwell I was becoming, I was reassured that these issues could be related to my previous surgery.

Looking back, there were warning signs that something more serious was happening. As my symptoms worsened, I continued to seek help, trusting that answers would eventually be found. Sadly, by the time I was admitted to hospital in January 2026, I was critically ill with a large bowel obstruction caused by bowel cancer.

The blockage had become so severe that emergency intervention was required. What I believed were ongoing complications following gallbladder surgery turned out to be cancer, a diagnosis that completely changed my life and the lives of those closest to me. I remember being sat on my own hearing this news, terrified.

I was told just two more days and it would have been fatal. That alone affected me let alone the news that followed it was cancer. I was told an emergency procedure would need to be carried out that day and a stent was inserted to relieve the obstruction, this came with huge risks that it could perforate my bowel but it had to be done. I was terrified. After several anxious weeks, I underwent major bowel cancer surgery in February. Thankfully the surgeons were able to remove the tumour and reconnect my bowel, avoiding the need for a permanent stoma. However, recovery was physically and emotionally exhausting.

One of the hardest things to come to terms with is wondering whether my cancer might have been found sooner. After having gallbladder surgery the previous year, many of my symptoms were understandably viewed through that lens. I attended appointments, raised concerns, and tried to explain that something didn’t feel right. Like so many people, I trusted that the answers would come. Instead, it wasn’t until I was rushed to hospital with a life-threatening bowel obstruction that the true cause was discovered.

The news that followed was devastating. I was told I had stage 3 cancer. Although the tumour had been removed, cancer was found in two lymph nodes, meaning I would need chemotherapy to reduce the risk of it returning.

Since April, my life has revolved around hospital appointments, blood tests, chemotherapy treatments, side effects and recovery. What many people don’t see is the reality of cancer treatment. The fatigue, nausea, diarrhoea, nerve pain, cold sensitivity, anxiety and exhaustion have often left me unable to carry out even the simplest daily tasks, let alone work.

As a self-employed business owner, if I cannot work, I do not earn. There is no company sick pay, no paid leave and no safety net. Overnight, my ability to generate an income disappeared.

My salon and training academy have been my livelihood for years, but the rent, utilities, insurance, subscriptions, website costs and other business expenses continue whether I am able to work or not. While my income has dramatically reduced, the bills have continued to arrive every month.

The impact extends beyond just myself. My business also helps support my daughter, who works alongside me and has children of her own to provide for. One of the hardest parts of this journey has been worrying not only about my own future, but about protecting the family business that helps support my daughter and grandchildren too.

What makes this even harder is knowing that the impact of my illness reaches far beyond me. Together we have worked incredibly hard to build something we are proud of. The salon is not just my livelihood; it also helps provide an income that supports my daughter and, in turn, helps provide stability for my grandchildren.

Like many families, we are not wealthy. We rely on the business remaining open and surviving this difficult period. Since my diagnosis, my daughter has done everything she can to keep things going while also supporting me through surgery, chemotherapy, hospital appointments, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with cancer. Watching her carry that weight while trying to support her own children has been one of the hardest parts of this journey.

As a grandmother, there is nothing more important to me than being there for my family. The thought of losing everything I have worked so hard to build, while knowing how many people depend on it, has added another layer of worry during an already frightening and uncertain time.

Every donation will not only help me continue my recovery, but it will also help protect the business that supports my family and gives us hope for the future. My dream is simple: to get through treatment, rebuild my health, keep the salon doors open, and continue providing for the people I love most.

For months I have been unable to teach the courses I love, provide treatments for my clients or run my business in the way I always have. Watching something I have spent years building struggle because of circumstances completely beyond my control has been heartbreaking.

Anyone who knows me will know that asking for help does not come naturally. I have always been the person trying to help others, whether through my business, my training, my family or my community. Creating this fundraiser has taken a lot of courage because I have always believed in working hard and standing on my own two feet.

However, cancer has a way of changing everything.

This fundraiser will help ease some of the financial pressure while I continue my recovery and complete my treatment. Donations will help with essential household bills, travel costs to and from hospital appointments, day-to-day living expenses, and the ongoing costs of keeping my salon and training academy afloat until I am well enough to return to work fully.

My dream is simple. I want to recover, complete my treatment, rebuild my business, continue supporting my family and return to doing what I love. I am determined that cancer will be a chapter in my story, not the end of it.

If you are able to donate, no matter how small the amount, I would be incredibly grateful. If you are unable to donate, simply sharing my story would mean the world to me.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for supporting me through the most challenging journey of my life.

With love, gratitude and hope,

Lorraine ❤️