Why Tim finds Cancer Focus NI’s counselling a real lifeline

Holywood man Tim Page, who is married to Ruth and has two sons, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 1984 at just 20 years of age.

Since then he has had blood cancer four more times and had been through exhaustive treatments. In December 2017, he had a donor transplant and is recovering well.

He has been given fantastic support from the Cancer Focus NI counselling service.

Tim and his wife Ruth

Tim says: “Often my hardest moments with cancer were spent waiting for test results, experiencing doubt and constantly asking myself if I was going to survive. I needed to speak with someone who was removed from my personal life – someone I could actually say the words, ‘I think I’m going to die’.

“That’s when I found my Cancer Focus NI counsellor, who offered a safe space to talk freely.   I always came out of our meetings with a sense of release and feeling better about myself.

“It was a place to process feelings and also allowed for emotional release. The counsellor absolutely helped me get through some very tough months. To this day, I’m so grateful for his time and to Cancer Focus NI for providing this service.

“There is life beyond cancer. As I make slow progress on my long road to recovery, my wife also used Cancer Focus NI’s counselling services. This journey has been so challenging for her too.”

In the past, Tim has completed all NI park runs and is looking forward to being well enough to run again. “I think the Belfast marathon is fantastic. Running is such a tonic – it builds up your strength and helps give you a positive outlook on life. Please sign up for the marathon and help raise funds to help others at a difficult time in their lives.”

If you would like to find out more about the marathon, click here.