"They Made Me Laugh": Woman Wrote 100 Letters to Her Friend with Cancer, it Changed Both Their Lives
- Alison Hitchcock wrote more than 100 letters to her friend Brian Greenley who had bowel cancer, to cheer him up and keep him connected to the world
- The letters helped Brian cope with his isolation and treatment, and also inspired Alison to pursue a new career in writing and letter advocacy
- Their friendship deepened through the letters and they co-founded From Me to You, a charity that encourages people to write letters to cancer patients
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A woman who wrote more than 100 letters to cheer up her friend with cancer has revealed how the experience transformed both of their lives.
Alison Hitchcock, 42, met Brian Greenley, 51, on a yoga holiday in India in 2010.
Source: TikTok
They stayed in touch, but six months later Brian told Alison he had been diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Alison, who was working in the City of London at the time, felt helpless and awkward. She impulsively offered to write letters to Brian to make him smile during his treatment.
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She had wanted to change her mind
At first, she regretted her promise, thinking it sounded crazy and insensitive. But she decided to honour it and wrote her first letter, which was about women at the swimming pool worrying about their tattooed eyebrows fading in the chlorine.
That letter was followed by 99 more over the next three years, as Brian’s cancer progressed from stage 3 to 4 and he underwent surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Brian, who lives in Buckinghamshire with his partner Neil, said Alison’s letters kept him connected to a world he felt increasingly isolated from. He would take them to his chemo sessions and share them with other patients.
He said: “They made me laugh and they made me cry. They were a lifeline.”
Alison, who now lives in Oxfordshire, said writing the letters helped her cope with her own stress and anxiety. She also discovered a passion for creative writing and decided to pursue it as a career.
She said: “I realised I loved writing and I wanted to do more of it. It gave me a new direction and purpose.”
The letters also deepened Alison and Brian’s friendship. They now run a charity called From Me to You, which encourages people to write letters to cancer patients.
They said: “We want to inspire others to do what we did. Writing letters can make a huge difference to someone going through cancer. It can also be rewarding and fun for the writer.”
Alison and Brian’s story was featured in The Guardian’s series A Moment That Changed Me, which showcases personal stories of transformation.
Man whose doctor declared would die within 48 hours survived cancer through the help of family
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that A one-minute video was able to display the power of prayer and having relatives around at a time of need.
In the video that has been shared many times, a doctor had declared that the man would be dead between 24 to 48 hours but through family support and prayer he was able to live beyond the hours.
The family of the man gathered around him showing him love and attention while also praying for his healing.
Source: Legit.ng
