Dalia's story
“Penny Brohn UK is one of the best and most important services I used throughout my cancer treatment to date. They supported me holistically when that support was unavailable elsewhere. They were critical to me getting through treatment and beyond.” – Dalia
Dalia was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2022 at just 33. We sat down with Dalia and her brother, Youssef, to hear their story.
Youssef: Dalia and I live very close to each other: we spend a lot of time together and with our family and we are a big support to each other. I was at the appointment where she received her diagnosis and we were both shocked, as we thought it was just a benign lump.
Dalia: The period after my diagnosis was incredibly stressful. This was mainly due to almost all my results and treatment being delayed. For instance, one of the results that was due before my surgery was delayed and my surgery results were delayed twice. In the end, the surgery went ahead without the results, which made me feel quite nervous and question if that was the right thing. I had fertility preservation shortly before I started intensive chemotherapy and then started radiotherapy around Christmas time, meaning my active treatment spanned across the whole year.
The active treatment, along with the preventative treatments has been hard on my body; physically as well as emotionally. For instance, dealing with the side effects of a medically-induced menopause and having all my hormones suppressed to undetectable levels is challenging to manage day-to-day, and not a natural state for my body to be in, especially in my 30s. I dedicate a lot of effort managing side effects and trying to improve my quality of life as much as possible.
Youssef: I wanted to be there for Dalia as much as I could during her active treatment. It was around this time that I decided to take up running. It was nice to be able to separate myself from work, cancer, and the pressures of life. I could go out, run and be in my own thoughts. It was useful for my mental health and allowed me to be in a better headspace, so I could provide the best support to Dalia that I possibly could.
Dalia: When going through treatment, you don’t have a huge amount of time to ask questions or make decisions, and you feel pushed through a process. Going to the hospital as a patient can be very disempowering. You can feel pressured to make fast choices, and if you aren’t mindful of slowing the process down for yourself, then you can come out the other side having had every decision made for you, with no real say. I wanted everything to be my decision and an active choice. I wanted to feel in control in a situation that can overwhelm. From the offset I made changes to support my whole body, but I had to make a lot of these decisions in isolation using my own research, and there was no single good source of information that wasn’t mainstream medicine. The hospitals weren’t engaged or familiar with this approach, so I felt alone in managing this.
I heard about Penny Brohn UK through my tarot teacher, Avril. I discovered that they were aligned with my own personal ethos of a whole person approach. They have been an amazing source of information on a holistic approach to wellness during cancer, and this has supported me during my treatment and to ultimately give me a better outcome.
Youssef: I am constantly blown away by Dalia and the strength and tenacity she throws at everything, cancer included. She knew what she needed to feel better, and Penny Brohn UK matched with her values and how she lives her life.
Dalia: I signed up to some online sessions including the 4-week online Treatment Support Programme and one-to-one support with an integrative doctor, nutritionist, hypnotherapist and exercise therapist. These sessions reinforced that I had a voice and that there were options that would help relieve symptoms and support my whole body. I could speak to them on a holistic and scientific level, which was really important to me, and a big part of the support I needed.
Thanks to Penny Brohn UK, I felt listened to. They took me seriously and talked through my concerns. Knowing I had their expertise and backing helped massively. They validated the holistic methods I wanted to try alongside conventional cancer treatment. Without them, I would have felt less supported and confident going into my treatment.
Youssef: During Dalia’s treatment, I joined her at a Wellbeing Day held at the Penny Brohn UK National Centre. It was amazing for me to see the support that they were giving her, and others like her. I could see they were critical to helping get her through cancer treatment and beyond.
Dalia: Penny Brohn UK is one of the best and most important services I used throughout the entirety of my treatment to date. The charity really has that whole life approach, which is important, especially when the overstretched healthcare system is purely focused on treating the cancer and not your overall wellbeing.
Looking to the future, I would like to get into a position where cancer is having less of an impact on my life. I would like to have more of a sense of normality like my peers. It’s important for me to spread awareness that cancer can happen to anyone, but we should be empowered to strive for what matters to us and have ownership over our own bodies. We all need that personalised approach to healthcare. Since my diagnosis, I have found purpose in being involved in causes that are personal to my cancer journey. I want to live my life knowing that I am contributing to the community through my experience and important causes like Penny Brohn UK.
Youssef: After everything Dalia had been through, I wanted to mark how brave she was in some small way. I chose to dedicate a leaf on the Penny Brohn UK Tree of Life for her birthday. It’s a physical marker that will always represent the strength and tenacity she throws at everything. Knowing my donations can help others access this support is amazing.
We feel privileged that we were able to support Dalia and offer her the guidance she needed.
We’d like to thank Dalia and Youssef for sharing their experience. The words used are preferred by them. Penny Brohn UK encourages everyone to use their own words to tell their story. If you have any questions about any of the language used, please email comms@pennybrohn.org.uk.