Erin was unable to preserve her eggs before starting cancer treatment.
Now she is fighting for change.
At just 21, Erin Lavery was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She underwent six months of chemotherapy and 18 sessions of radiotherapy and is now cancer-free.
But her treatment has had a devastating impact on her fertility.
By the time Erin received her diagnosis, there wasn’t enough time to preserve her eggs before treatment began.
Now, at 23, she has been told she needs to act quickly if she wants the chance to have children in the future.
Erin now faces a potential £8,000 bill for egg preservation, despite having already been through cancer treatment and being unable to work for two years.
Erin is now using her experience to campaign for better access to NHS-funded fertility preservation for people affected by cancer, particularly when preservation isn’t possible before treatment.
Her story highlights an important issue: surviving cancer can come with consequences that last long after treatment ends including the impact on fertility.
Everyone facing cancer should have access to appropriate information, support and consideration of their future fertility. Fertility preservation should not become an afterthought.
We stand alongside Erin and thank her for speaking so openly and bravely about her experience.
Woman diagnosed with cancer at 21 forced to self-fund egg-freezing after treatment | STV News