“Fighting for funding and trying to change this is exhausting,” said Erin Lavery
Credit: STV News/YouTube
NEED TO KNOW
- Erin Lavery was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma at 21 and underwent treatment that impacted her fertility
- She said that she now needs to pay $10,000 to preserve her eggs, and that the procedure will not be covered by the NHS because it happened after she underwent treatment
- Lavery is raising awareness about outdated fertility policies and advocating for better support
After being treated for cancer, a young woman is now facing a $10,000 bill if she wants to have a family one day.
Erin Lavery — from Cambuslang, Scotland — was 21 years old when she was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in August 2024. She told STV News that the diagnosis came after about a year of having her symptoms “dismissed.”
Because of the delay in diagnosis, Lavery had to begin treatment immediately and wasn’t able to freeze her eggs, which would’ve been funded by the NHS, the outlet reported. After six months of chemotherapy and a month of radiotherapy, she was told that she was in medically induced menopause, and her fertility had been affected.
Now 23 years old and cancer-free, Lavery learned earlier this year that there was still a chance she could preserve her eggs and have children in the future.
“I always wanted to be a mum, so as soon as I could begin those investigations, that’s what I did,” she told the outlet.
However, she was informed that because egg preservation typically occurs before treatment, the NHS would no longer cover the cost and she would need to pay more than $10,000 for it.
“I can’t describe the emotions it’s brought up going through this. It’s already isolating being a young person going through cancer, but infertility as well; it doesn’t need to be this difficult,” she said. “If the funding is there before your cancer treatment, it should be there after.”
Lavery, who works as a nail technician, said it’s exhausting to still face setbacks in the process. Thankfully, she’s planning to freeze her eggs with the help of friends and family.
“I’m lucky enough that my family are able to help me fund this, but I can’t stop thinking about people who don’t have that option, or even to find that amount of money,” she said.
“It’s so disheartening. I’m now at this stage where I’m recovering and getting myself back, and to be hit with this feels huge,” she continued. “It’s taken me a while to get a good bit of myself back and recover from treatment. Fighting for funding and trying to change this is exhausting.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
@erin_lav_
Grateful for our NHS and Modern Medicine❤️ I heard this song live before I was diagnosed and it has such a special place in my heart. Watching myself change so much physically and mentally that last few months has been incredibly healing knowing my beauty is within and being proud of the way I’ve dealt with this time is such a gift and i feel like after this I can handle anything life throws at me. “And if it all falls apart at least we enjoyed it” I have my 6th cycle of chemo starting tomorrow which means it’ll be my 21st round ! Each time i do this I remind myself why and I think about a cancer free future ❤️ #hodgkinslymphoma #stage3cancer #cancerawarness #teenagecancertrust #chemotherapy #BEACOPPDAC #lynphomaawareness #cancerinyour20s #medicalhairloss #checkyourlumps #beatson
♬ Shot In The Dark – Kingfishr
Lavery is now using her social media platforms to raise awareness and advocate for changes to “outdated” fertility policies that affect women like herself.
“A large part of this seems to be an area missed and not looked over. These policies need a second look,” she told the outlet. “If I need to be the one to change that, I’m going to do it. It’s upsetting so many cancer survivors find themselves in this situation and are left on their own to navigate it.”
Lavery’s story has since reached the Scottish government, which vowed to outline a review of IVF services.
“Guidance on fertility preservation has been developed by clinical experts and makes clear that special consideration by health boards should be done on a case-by-case basis,” public health minister Maree Todd said in a statement to BBC. “I greatly admire the strength and resilience shown by Erin as she has documented her cancer journey online and I thank her for sharing her personal experience and the work she is doing to advocate for more support for cancer survivors.”
Read the full article here
