I thought I had Freshers' Flu, but it turned out to be cancer... 30 years in the past, I could've died

Ezzy Pearson, 37, was beginning her first year at university when she developed what she assumed was a cold. She thought it was was Freshers’ flu - a common term for symptoms that often affect new students as they gather together to start university life.

But what started as a runny nose, fatigue, and a persistent cough turned out to be a Hodgkin lymphoma - a type of cancer that begins in the lymphatic system. Despite undergoing six months of chemotherapy, Ezzy completed all her first-year university exams, including one taken just hours after a treatment session.

Now, nearly 20 years cancer-free, Ezzy is taking part in Race for Life in memory of her mum, Jo, who died from lung cancer at age 64, and to help fund the research that gave her a future. Ezzy from Bristol said: “If I’d been born 30 years earlier, that diagnosis could have been a death sentence.

"But thanks to advances in research - much of it funded by organisations like Cancer Research UK - I had access to treatment that saved my life. On the Wednesday of Freshers' Week, I noticed a lump on the side of my neck and just felt really rubbish.

“I was constantly carrying around a box of tissues and assumed it was just Freshers’ Flu. But when it hadn’t cleared up after a month, I went to the GP.”

After initially being told to wait and see if her symptoms would resolve on their own, Ezzy returned to her GP when she continued to feel unwell. After undergoing multiple rounds of blood tests, she was referred to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist.

A biopsy on the lump in her neck confirmed a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma - a type of cancer that begins in the lymphatic system, a key part of the body’s immune defence.

Despite undergoing six months of chemotherapy, Ezzy - now Commissions Editor at BBC Science Focus magazine - completed all her first-year university exams, including one taken just hours after a treatment session.

She said: “If I’d been born 30 years earlier, that diagnosis could have been a death sentence. But thanks to advances in research - much of it funded by organisations like Cancer Research UK - I had access to treatment that saved my life.”

Now, nearly 20 years cancer-free, Ezzy is taking part in Race for Life in memory of her mum, Jo, who died from lung cancer at age 64, and to help fund the research that gave her a future.

Ezzy said: “I was devastated when my mum died. She was a smoker, and I know there’s a lot of stigma around lung cancer because of that - but it’s more complex than people realise. Everyone deserves compassion and support, no matter how their illness came about.

“My mum was a Scout leader and incredibly creative - I definitely take after her in my writing and creative work.”

Ezzy lives with her partner Sam and the couple got together shortly after Jo died. And although they never met, Ezzy found a meaningful way to connect them. She said: “After my mum passed, I started wearing her engagement ring on my right hand. When Sam and I signed our mortgage together, I moved it to my left.

"It was my way of letting her know I planned on keeping him, even if I couldn’t tell her in person,” said Ezzy, who has been named the VIP starter for Cancer Research UK’s flagship fundraiser in Bristol on Sunday, June 22.

She will sound the horn to set almost 2,000 participants off on the 5k and 10k routes at The Downs, Stoke Road. Ezzy said: “I’m so excited and honoured to be starting Race for Life Bristol. It’s a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come in cancer research - and how much more we can achieve together.

“Race for Life is just a great experience. It’s not about being the fastest or the best. It doesn’t matter if you run, walk or hop like a bunny - it’s about coming together and doing something fantastic for a great cause.”

The event is part of a packed weekend of fundraising, which also includes the Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids obstacle courses on Saturday, June 21. Every year, around 37,300 people are diagnosed with cancer in the South West.

Race for Life, in partnership with headline sponsor Standard Life (part of Phoenix Group), is a nationwide series of 3k, 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy, and Pretty Muddy Kids events. The series raises millions of pounds annually to fund life-saving cancer research.

Ruth Amies, spokesperson for Cancer Research UK in the South West, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Ezzy for being our VIP starter at Race for Life Bristol. No matter how cancer affects us, life is worth racing for. Sadly nearly 1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime but all of us can support the research that will beat it.

"We’re proud that Race for Life has had such a positive impact. Every pound raised supports our life-saving work, which has helped double cancer survival in the UK over the last 50 years. Our events are strictly non-competitive which means everyone can have a go- and love every minute. There’s no pressure to finish in a certain time, just give it what you can. Lace up and join in.

"Whether people are living with cancer, taking part in honour of or in memory of a loved one with cancer, in it for the medals or just for the fun of fundraising, there is a place for everyone.”

Since it began in 1994, more than 10 million people have taken part in Race for Life, contributing millions of pounds towards life-saving research.