Sarcoma Awareness Month: Life Goes On
For eight years, Anna Wright-Hicks knew something was deeply wrong with her body. She faced severe, exhausting periods, debilitating pain, and constant dizziness that left her noticeably pale. Despite making repeated visits to medical professionals, her symptoms were seen as age-related or normal.
Her physical health declined significantly after the birth of her son, Harry, in 2016. Yet, even at her lowest points, Anna refused to stop advocating for her health.
“If I hadn’t kept pushing for answers, I would be dead now,” says Anna, 40, from Harlow, Essex.
Today, Anna is turning that fierce determination into a source of inspiration. As a medical malpractice insurance underwriter, mother, and clothing designer, she actively shares fashion and cancer awareness content on Instagram under the handle @sarcomawarrior_withstyle, proving that identity is far stronger than a medical diagnosis.
I adore my life, my husband James and my son. I still have some dark days, but I pick myself up. Positivity has helped me through. People can’t get over how positive and smiley I am.
Shane Henry
The turning point came in 2024 when new symptoms prompted a colonoscopy, uncovering a serious growth in her bowel. Following further scans, Anna received a rare diagnosis: Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma (ESS), a form of cancer affecting the lining of the womb that sees only around 79 cases diagnosed in England each year.
What was initially expected to be a four-hour operation in December 2024 quickly expanded into a complex 11-hour surgery when clinical teams discovered the cancer had spread throughout her abdomen and bowel. Surgeons performed a radical hysterectomy, removing sections of her large bowel, gallbladder, and surrounding tissue. Anna awoke from the procedure with a stoma bag, which she confidently and cheerfully nicknamed Bert.
In the anxious weeks leading up to the operating theatre, Anna had quietly prepared for her family’s future. She set up a dedicated email account for her son Harry, who was nine at the time, filling it with heartfelt messages he could read as he grew older.
Now cancer-free and undergoing regular monitoring scans, Anna has returned to the career and passions that ground her. Having discovered a love for designing clothes during lockdown, she now balances her insurance work with running her own online clothing line. Her life is a masterclass in positivity, resilience, and reclaiming one’s narrative.
Turning personal stories into clinical breakthroughs
Anna’s experience underscores why dedicated scientific research into Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma is so urgently needed to prevent prolonged diagnostic delays. To change the outlook for future patients, Sarcoma UK is funding vital clinical projects across the country.
At University College London, Professor Richard Jenner and his team are investigating the specific molecular changes that drive ESS, working to identify smarter drugs that can target the cancer directly at its source. Simultaneously, Dr Alex Lee at The Christie in Manchester is developing advanced scanning techniques and blood tests designed to differentiate aggressive womb cancers from harmless fibroids much earlier.
Together, these projects represent real hope for faster, more effective, and kinder care.
Read next: Samantha’s story
How triathlete Samantha Boswell rebuilt her fitness and returned to racing after sarcoma
A return to the podiumSupporting you and our community
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About Sarcoma UK
We are the national charity for anyone affected by sarcoma cancer. We fund cutting edge research, campaign for better treatments, and work to enable earlier diagnosis so that everyone in our community can live longer and better lives.
About Sarcoma UK
We are the national charity for anyone affected by sarcoma cancer. We fund cutting edge research, campaign for better treatments, and work to enable earlier diagnosis so that everyone in our community can live longer and better lives.
