For ten years, Cheryl kept a secret that started small — a pebble-sized lump on her foot. At fifteen, it was just tender, nothing serious, or so she told herself. Doctors mentioned physio, maybe a torn ligament. Life went on, and the lump grew. Each bump sent pain shooting through her foot, but embarrassment made it easy to ignore.
By the time she met David in Glasgow, it was the size of a golf ball. She hid it in trainers and jokes. “It’s nothing,” she’d say. But one evening, when they moved in together, he noticed. “What’s going on with your foot?” he asked. This time, she couldn’t hide.
Scans followed—MRIs, X-rays, biopsies—and then came the words no one wants to hear: an aggressive sarcoma. To stop it from spreading, doctors would have to remove her lower leg. Cheryl’s world collapsed into disbelief and fear.
David didn’t pull away. Instead, weeks before the surgery, he proposed. In a world of uncertainty, he offered love and stability. “He gave me the will to keep going,” she said later. She said yes—to him and to the operation that would save her life.
Sarcomas are rare cancers that grow in the body’s connective tissues—muscles, fat, or bone. They often start as harmless-looking lumps, the kind people ignore. Cheryl’s began in her foot and hid there for a decade.
Now she shares her story openly, raising awareness so others won’t wait too long. “If I hadn’t shown him, I probably would’ve ignored it even longer,” she admits.
Her message is simple: trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, ask again. Your body speaks—listen to it.
And if someone you love downplays their pain, be like David. Look closer. Say, “Let’s go.” It might just save their life.
