Dance student who overcame same cancer as mum graduates with First Class honours

Lucy Wiswould-Green, 24, from Lincoln, will receive her graduation certificate at The Lowry today, nearly 18 months on from receiving the all-clear from Hodgkin lymphona, the same condition that her mother Melissa had overcome just three years earlier. 

Today marks a significant milestone in Lucy's journey, marking the end of a life-changing five year period, in which she has raised thousands for charity, won an award and contended with a pandemic as well as overcoming cancer. 

A performer since a very young age, Lucy always wanted to pursue a career in the arts and set her eyes on Salford after visiting the facilities at the New Adelphi building in 2019. However, when mum Melissa was diagnosed with the condition in the summer of that year, Lucy decided to take a second gap year so she could support her closer to home and stayed in Lincoln. 

Melissa got the all-clear later that year but in April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she fell seriously ill and was admitted to hospital. She ended up staying in hospital for a number of months to recover and insisted Lucy take up her place at Salford.

"She really encouraged me to take my place at Salford that year," Lucy said. "She kept saying 'Just go. I'll be fine!' When she got out of hospital and came back to Lincoln, I then went to Salford a week later."

Her stay in Greater Manchester proved short as just five weeks into her studies, another national lockdown was announced and Lucy left for Lincoln, to ensure she could still see her mum whilst were restrictions were in place.

Studying dance at home was not easy for Lucy. 

"I was doing all the dancing in the kitchen at the time because it was the only room with a suitable floor. The amount of bruises I got from kicking the countertop...it was a nightmare and I used to get so defeated. The lecturers were amazing at getting us through it online," she explains.

Melissa had recovered well by Lucy's second year and, now full-time at Salford, Lucy threw herself into her studies and featured in most third-year student's dissertations. It was 'very full-on.'

The nature of the work she was doing meant that when she started to encounter health problems that year, she felt unclear as to whether it was due to exhaustion or something more serious. 

"I was getting symptoms from October. Night sweats and a big rash every time I had a drop of alcohol. I first went to the doctor in January. I didn't feel unwell, but I thought I should go get checked out. It was mainly tiredness really. I just felt more tired than normal but as a dancer, you struggle to know where to draw the line," Lucy explains.

"It was by the end of March that I started noticing some lumps in my neck and an ultrasound located another one in my chest. The one in my neck started to become a massive lump. Everything came back clear despite the size of it. It was like a big golf ball and I struggled to move my collarbone.

"The next morning I just wasn't settled with the result so I rang the doctors and requested a CT scan. My mum had been really poorly in the build up to her diagnosis and I was still dancing so neither of us were overly worried. I was dancing 12 hours a day so I never thought I could have done that if I had cancer."

Lucy had her CT scan and at her follow-up appointment, the idea of Hodgkin lymphona was first raised as a potential possibility when the scan picked up something that needed further investigating.

A biopsy then took place which was gruelling for Lucy, who then spent two weeks doing the end of year show and dissertation performances. A second biopsy was booked in for June 6, 2022 but Lucy was called in to speak to the doctor to be told it wasn't going ahead and that they'd found Hodgkin lymphona. 

Image below: Lucy and mum Melissa in hospital for Lucy's chemotherapy

Lucy said: "He started telling me what it was but I already knew as I said my mum had had it. 

"I remember saying that I wasn't scared about what I was about to go through but that I was scared that my mum was going to watch me go through what she had. She had survived all of that only to watch her daughter go through the exact same thing."

The diagnosis meant Lucy had to postpone her third year of studies and begin chemotherapy. She began six months of treatment after a brief family holiday with Melissa accompanying her to every appointment. 

"I can't explain what chemo feels like, what the symptoms are or how it makes you feel. It's not just feeling sick and tired, it's just horrific. But when I was having it and she was there with me, she knew exactly what I was feeling and it was quite relieving actually because I didn't have to try and explain what I needed."

The second 'good day' after the treatment finished in December, Lucy was in the gym, training to regain her fitness.

She said: "I was not going to let it get the best of me. I was going to go back and finish my degree."

As she was recovering, Lucy began a fundraising mission to give back to the Teenage Cancer Trust who had supported her throughout her journey, including arranging for her and Melissa to watch electronic band Underworld perform at the Royal Albert Hall, with Lucy invited to introduce them on to the stage. This came a few weeks after being given the all clear by her doctor on 14 February. 

She made over 200 little hand painted cards and handmade advent calendars to go out to family and friendly who were widowed or who would be alone around Christmas time. Lucy then enlisted her dad, Alan, to roller skate 300 miles with her over a number of weeks in Lincoln, raising almost £2,500. She also raised money by hosting a dance event called 'Move for Cancer', ran the Race for Life to raise money for Cancer Research UK and donated her hair. 

Image below: Lucy with dad Alan during her roller skate challenge

Lucy said: "I was keen to do something physical, something that was going to be helpful to raise money for the charity but also help get me back to uni in September. My doctor told me that I wasn't going to be able to go back in September to do a full-time dance course and I was like, 'Watch me.'"

She got back into a dance studio in April 2023, working as a dance teacher at a secondary school in Lincoln for three months, sharing her passion with young dancers. 

Come September 2023, Lucy did indeed make it back to Salford, throwing herself back into her studies, excelling in her own projects and in collaborations with others, as she was offered the role of Trainee Dancer with Dance at Salford's Artist in Residence, Move Manchester.

Her success was recognised internally this May when she won the Outstanding Commitment Award at the University's Create Student Awards 2024. 

Sarah Jane Lockwood, Programme Leader for MA Choreographic Practice/Creative Dance and Lecturer in Dance said: "Lucy has consistently shown outstanding motivation, and a commitment to the course, to charity work and to develop her industry experience, despite significant adversity. 

"She is an unstoppable force. Before her illness, she was an outstanding student, taking all of the opportunities offered to her, both within the curriculum and through extracurricular opportunities. Throughout her time at Salford she has immersed herself in the dance, whilst also finding time to develop her musical interests and charitable activity. Despite significant health challenges during her studies, she has returned stronger than ever - determined to make the most of every opportunity on offer. She graduates with an extensive professional network and excellent reputation as talented, motivated and highly sought after Manchester creative. 

"As a team we are all excited to see what the future holds for Lucy - she's the one to watch and we are very proud and grateful to have supported her journey."

Following her graduation, Lucy is keen to form her own production company with her partner. 

She added: "I grew up doing acting and musical theatre and I'm very much into music and producing my own right now so I can see it being very interdisciplinary with dance at the forefront."

Image below: Lucy during her chemotherapy (left) and Lucy at the Create Awards 2024 (right)