A BRAVE single mum who felt exhausted running after her two children during lockdown was devastated to learn she had a 12cm tumour.
Tianna Campbell, 24, believed her tiredness was caused by caring for her young sons, Riley and Logan, as the UK shut down in early 2020.
But on April 1 that year, she was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph system.
She decided to visit her GP after struggling to breathe as she dashed around after her boys.
Tianna, of Edinburgh, said she was stunned after medics told her she had a tumour behind her breastbone.
She immediately began chemotherapy, which was followed by 15 rounds of radiotherapy.
on Health
“As I’m a single mum and my dad lives in Spain and my sister works a lot, I had to find ways to cope alone and keep my children entertained, while trying to look after and shield myself from the pandemic,” she told Edinburgh Live.
“I would often drive over to my grandma’s house where there was a path to a beach from her back garden and I would sit and watch my sons play with their grandparents, whilst giving me time to close my eyes and rest.
“On some days I just wanted to sleep all day and not have to worry about anyone else, but motherhood doesn’t allow for that to happen.
“I had to keep going for the sake of my children.”
Tianna was on a Teenage Cancer Trust unit in Western General Hospital – meaning she spent time with others her own age.
And she said that, while it helped with her loneliness, she still faced isolation as she cared for her children during grinding lockdowns in Scotland.
“My sons have helped me through cancer. Even though they are still young, they are my purpose in life,” she said.
“If I didn’t have them, I wouldn’t have fought cancer as hard as I did.
“It will always be at the back of my mind that I could relapse, or the cancer could come back in years to come but I tell myself to live each day as it comes and make many memories with my children, friends and family.”
Read More on Trending In The News
Tianna recently did a skydive for Teenage Cancer Trust as her sons cheered her on.
“It was also a great opportunity to give back to the charity that helped me so much through everything I went through,” she said.
