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My Story
From fighting for my life to building something with purpose.
Believe Within was born from a journey I never expected to take.
In 2021, at just 23 years old, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Like many people, I never imagined that cancer would become part of my life. Suddenly, everything changed. I went through chemotherapy and radiotherapy, while trying to carry on with life as normally as possible.
Then came the news that changed everything again.
In 2023, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
This time, the treatment was even more intense. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and eventually a stem cell transplant became my reality.
My first transplant failed.
I experienced primary graft failure, and there was a point where I was told that there wasn't much more that could be done. I was sent home to spend what could have been my final days making memories with my family.
But somehow, I wasn't finished.
I went into spontaneous remission and was given another chance.
In July 2024, I underwent my second stem cell transplant.
This one worked.
That doesn't mean the journey suddenly became easy.
I've dealt with graft-versus-host disease, high-dose steroids and complications that have changed my life in ways I could never have imagined. The steroids contributed to avascular necrosis, causing damage to my joints and eventually leading to joint replacements.
Throughout all of this, there was something else I kept experiencing.
I never felt like myself in the clothes I was wearing.
Having PICC lines, treatment access and hospital appointments meant ordinary clothing wasn't always designed for me. Getting access to treatment could mean pulling, removing or completely changing clothes when I was already feeling vulnerable.
And that's where the idea for Believe Within began.
I wanted to create clothing that wasn't just about looking good.
I wanted clothing that could make someone's journey a little easier.
Something that could give people easier access to their treatment while allowing them to still feel comfortable, confident and like themselves.
But Believe Within is about much more than cancer.
It's about anyone going through something difficult.
Because behind every diagnosis is a person.
A person with a family.
Dreams.
Plans.
A personality.
A life.
You are not your diagnosis.
My journey has taught me that sometimes, when everything around you tells you to give up, you have to find something inside yourself that says keep going.
That's what Believe Within represents.
The courage to keep fighting.
The strength to keep moving forward.
And the belief that there can still be something beautiful waiting on the other side of the hardest chapters of your life.
I created Believe Within from my own experience, but I hope it becomes something much bigger than my story.
A community.
A reminder.
A feeling.
Something people can wear with pride, whatever journey they're on.
Believe in yourself. Believe in your journey. Believe Within.