91�ȱ�

A film telling the story of 24-year-old Lakita Neille’s journey with cancer is being shown at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Miss Neille, from Chorley, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2019, and had two relapses before going into remission.

She made the short film to document her journey, supported by her partner Ollie.

It will be shown as part of an event put on by Teenage Cancer Trust, which includes performances from The Who, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and The Chemical Brothers.

Miss Neille hopes to raise awareness for through her film. She said she didn’t see the signs at first.

“In the January, I was on my first teaching placement. I was going to the gym each day and I’d lost weight," she said.

“I thought I was healthier than ever but I was constantly shattered. I put it down to being busy and didn’t think anything of it.”

The following month, Miss Neille found a lump on the back of her mouth.

She said: “I got an emergency appointment the next day and the doctor told me it was a swollen gland.”

But the lump grew, and she was struggling to get up for lectures. After a series of tests, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.

“I had chemotherapy which got me into remission. I lived my life for two to three years without even thinking about cancer as much, and I felt grateful," she said.

According to , Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that develops when certain types of white blood cells stop working properly.

It's one of the most common cancers diagnosed in 13 to 24-year-olds.

It develops in the lymphatic system – a network of glands and thin tubes that run through your body.

It is usually diagnosed with a biopsy of a lump and treated with chemotherapy, sometimes combined with radiotherapy.

In October 2022, Miss Neille found another lump.

“I’d moved in with my partner Ollie. We'd had about a year of living together and life was good. I remember waking up and thinking ‘I've got everything exactly where I want it’," she said.

When Miss Neille learned she had relapsed, she worried about how long she would be around, which she described as "a horrible thought to have at 23 years old".

Miss Neille was back in remission around Christmas time, but the cancer came back in February 2023. She had a stem cell transplant in June 2023 and is now in remission, and has been able to return to teaching.

“The biggest thing cancer has taught me is that anything can happen to anybody, which kind of makes life a little bit scarier, but also makes you appreciate every single moment you have," she said.