Chloe Learmonth

This July, I’m going dry for cancer research because cancer nearly took everything from me.

Before my diagnosis, I was told that the symptoms I was experiencing were nothing to worry about. What started as a lump under my tongue was dismissed and by the time I finally had answers, my life had changed forever. I had Head and Neck Cancer, Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma to be exact. I underwent major surgeries, faced treatment and lived through fears I never imagined I would have to face at such a young age.

People often celebrate the end of treatment as the finish line, but the reality is that cancer doesn’t simply end when treatment ends. The fear, grief and trauma stays with you. I’m still learning how to live in a body that carries the scars of everything I’ve been through, while trying to make peace with the person cancer forced me to become.

I’m going dry this July because I know how important research is. Research gives people options. It gives doctors better treatments. It gives families more time. It gives people hope when they’re facing the unimaginable and most importantly, it helps people get answers sooner.

I often think about how different my journey could have been if someone had listened earlier, if my cancer had been found sooner, or if more was known about rare cancers like mine. No one should have to fight as hard as they do just to be heard.

So this month, I’m giving up alcohol, but I’m also sharing my story, not because it’s easy, but because if it encourages even one person to advocate for themselves, seek a second opinion, or support life-saving research, then it matters.

Cancer took a lot from me, but it didn’t take my voice. This July, I’m using my voice to help make a difference.