Health News - Woman diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma was left unable to claim disability benefits

Published: 18 November, 2010
by TOM FOOT

WHEN Rosalind Sherlock-Jones was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma she did not think a change in Government would ­feature high on her list of worries. 

Intensive chemotherapy sessions for the aggressive form of cancer at University College Hospital had exhausted the 44-year-old, who works for an independent music company in Camden Town.

Confined to her sick bed at her home in Highbury for one year, she felt “trapped”, too weak to work but disqualified from claiming benefits.

“It was scary because I kept hearing about how the new government was going to make people work,” said Rosalind. “It wasn’t looking good for me. I wasn’t able to claim benefits at that time. I was completely unable to do anything – I was off work for a year. But I didn’t qualify for Disability Living Allowance. 

“I felt really trapped. Work was really brilliant and my husband took time off to be with me – I don’t know what I would have done without them.”

Now Rosalind is back at work after recovering from six months of intensive treatment. 

She has been inspired into holding a fund-raiser for UCLH charities to say thanks to the ward that made her right.

“I was doing a yoga class and I just thought I could feel something in my chest,” said Rosalind. 

She was diagnosed with a type of lymphoma – that is a cancer originated from white blood cells – in August 2009 after a referral from her GP. 

In Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cells in the lymph nodes – bean-shaped glands found all over the body that are part of the lymphatic system – become cancerous. 

Rosalind was booked into the Whittington Hospital for treatment and told she had a 98 per cent chance of success. But it failed – despite the efforts of experts in the Archway hospital.

She was then transferred to a specialist ward at University College Hospital.

“I was given a really high dose of chemotherapy – every day for 10 days,” said Rosalind. 

After six months of intensive treatment, she kept going back to the hospital as an outpatient until July.

Now she is raising funds for Leukemia & Lymphoma Unit, a UCLH charity, in an event at her husband’s pub, The Hope, in Tottenham Street, Fitzrovia.

“The charity helped me with counselling, foot massage and complementary therapy,” said Rosalind. 

“It has inspired me to do a massage course. I will be giving out hand massages and mini-facials on the day.”

If you can’t come to the event on November 27 and want to donate visit www.justgiving.com/TheHopePub