Overview
- Karen Davey, 54, first noticed fatigue, hot flushes and appetite loss in early 2024 and initially believed they were menopause-related.
- After a GP attributed new back and kidney pain to brief gardening, her condition rapidly worsened, progressing to leg numbness and loss of bladder and bowel control.
- Following a two-week hospital admission, she was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin lymphoma affecting her kidneys and a tumour encircling her spinal cord.
- Treatment achieved complete remission, but irreversible spinal cord damage has left her unable to walk and reliant on a wheelchair.
- Her reduced work hours and her husband’s shift to full-time caregiving highlight wider socioeconomic strains as the Spinal Injuries Association campaigns for better awareness and access for disabled women.