From Intensive Care to Cinema Escape: Emma’s story

I knew I was unwell for a good while, but it took six months to get a diagnosis. The first sign that something wasn’t right was a lump on my collarbone, which I later discovered was a swollen lymph node. I kept pushing for doctors’ appointments and blood tests and eventually was sent for a scan and biopsy. The whole experience was completely terrifying. Within one week of being diagnosed, I had started chemotherapy treatment.

During my first round of chemo things started to go wrong. My body reacted so badly to it. I was transferred to intensive care as I was so critically ill. Going through chemotherapy is so brutal, and the cumulative effect is even worse.

Everything that happened to me took me by such surprise; my brain was struggling to catch up with the unfolding situation. I was completely terrified and crying a lot, I was so scared of dying. By some miracle, by day five of being in the intensive care unit, the ward staff gave permission for me to go to the MediCinema.

I had been so traumatised by my health crisis, but here I was, about to get a taste of my busy social life back. It was unreal.  The wonderful volunteers took me to the MediCinema and back in a wheelchair. On the way my dad phoned me and I said, “I can’t talk dad, I’m going to the cinema”. He must have thought I was hallucinating from all the medication.

I’ll never forget the feeling I had sitting in the MediCinema about to watch a film, it was incredible. It was a complete escape from my situation, I felt high on life and the overwhelming thought running through my head was, “I’m going to make it”.

I’m going into hospital periodically now, being monitored as my treatment progresses. I’m past the halfway point. The chemo is aggressive, but the treatment is working. I’ve also lost my hair, which I found really hard. People that know me know it’s a big part of my identity, so I decided to shave it off as a fundraiser for MediCinema. I roped in my hairdresser, and we put a video on TikTok for friends and family to donate and I raised around £1600.

I’d tell anyone thinking of supporting the charity that MediCinema relieves anxiety, and the trauma of finding yourself in hospital, under life threatening circumstances. All the staff and volunteers are so helpful, kind and supportive.

For those two hours watching a film, your worry and fear are removed, and you get to do something so completely normal, under the care of nursing staff, that fills you with a joy and resilience that you never knew you had.