Debbie was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in August 2021.

My partner and I are very proud people. I’ve never claimed any kind of assistance from the Government in my 34 years of living in the UK and as much as Macmillan said I was entitled to financial support, I didn’t want to do it. I was determined to live day to day on as  little as I could, but I hit breaking point having to deal with the skyrocketing costs of living.

Eventually I gave in and learnt it’s okay and there’s no shame in asking for help. We are cutting down costs of every little thing we can, but I feel like our options are limited. We’re coming into the winter months and I’ve just had surgery, and for anyone that has gone through chemotherapy and multiple surgeries like myself, it’s so important to keep warm and not to worry about having to turn your gas and heating up.

The support we’ve received from advisors on Macmillan’s Support Line has been a lifeline, but I am extremely worried about what the future holds.

Julian, a medically retired football coach from Essex,  was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour in 2016. He has received a Macmillan Grant.

My diagnosis meant I had to let go of my dream job as a football coach due to my mobility issues. I’ve always worked my whole life and now I have to rely on benefits, which isn’t enough to cover the cost of my expenses – it’s really tough but I am left with no choice.

We are living week by week. I’m homebound so my heating and electricity bills have been higher, due to the side effects of feeling cold from chemotherapy, and I have often had to make the difficult choice between food or petrol for the day. I’ve always liked to go out and enjoy my food, but now we have to budget. It was those little things that made me feel more normal allowing me to forget that I have cancer, but that’s now taken away from me.