Taylor, 32, thought her problems were down to vaping, allergies or eczema
A 32-year-old woman who thought her cough was down to her vaping habit was told she had cancer – stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Taylor Roys was given the devastating news just three months after losing her whole home in an electrical fire.
She said: “It’s in my blood, my bones, and my lungs. I thought losing my home was the worst thing that could happen to me. Then cancer came along.”
Taylor says she brushed off a number of subtle symptoms as being “lazy, old or out of shape,” before her diagnosis. “I thought I had insomnia because I just couldn’t sleep,” she said. “I’d wake up drenched in sweat, but I assumed it was just stress. I had a persistent cough that I blamed on vaping. “I was always overheating, constantly hot, and I figured I was just out of shape. I withdrew from people, had no energy to go out. “I thought I was just becoming an introvert. Another big symptom was itchy skin but I thought it was allergies or eczema.”
Even her blood held clues that were overlooked. “Low iron, high platelets, elevated CRP levels,” Taylor said. “The doctors weren’t overly concerned, so neither was I.” She then began to develop pain throughout her body – but again put it down to getting older. “I was tripping over my feet, running into things. I thought I was just clumsy. I lost my appetite, dropped weight fast, but I blamed it on the stress of losing my house.” Finally in August 2024, a lump appeared on Taylor’s neck. Doctors carried out a biopsy and Hodgkin’s lymphoma was diagnosed. It was a punch to the gut. “I worked so hard to become independent, to build a life I was proud of,” she said. “Now I feel like I’m watching it all slip away. This isn’t how I saw my life turning out. I had so many plans, so many dreams, and now I’m just trying to make it through each day. And it’s getting harder.” Taylor is receiving BrECADD, the strongest chemotherapy available for her cancer and one which only completed trials last year. “The severe pain, nausea, exhaustion – it never ends,” she says. “The side effects have been brutal, landing me in the hospital multiple times.
“At my worst, I lost the ability to speak, walk, or even take care of myself. Recovery is slow, but I’m seeing small improvements.” She says that she is at breaking points – physically, mentally, and financially. “I hate asking for help,” she admits. “I’ve always tried to handle things on my own. But sometimes, no matter how strong we try to be, we can’t do it alone.” Desperate to continue her fight, Taylor hopes that those who hear her story will find it in their hearts to support her. “So here I am. Vulnerable. Hopeful. And asking, with everything in me, for support,” she says. “If you can, please help me keep fighting.” Taylor is also sharing her journey on TikTok, where she gives raw, unfiltered updates on her condition. “Cancer takes so much from you, but I won’t let it take my voice,” she says. “If my story helps even one person recognise the warning signs earlier, then at least something good can come from this. “I don’t know what the future holds. But I do know I’m not giving up without a fight.”
