World Cancer Day - Katherine's Story

World Cancer Day fell earlier this month - a day that aims to promote global awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.

Most of us will know someone who has been affected by cancer – whether it’s a parent, child, co-worker, friend, grandparent – or maybe even yourself.

Everyone has a different story and experience to share and it’s a deeply personal journey for everyone. We’d like to share, with her permission, the story of our wonderful Smiths Interconnect colleague, Katherine Morris.

Katherine was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time in 2017. Her treatment was successful, and she later went into complete remission. During this difficult period, she demonstrated a huge amount of resilience and strength and a determination to continue caring for her colleagues and her work.

In September 2024 Katherine and her family received the devastating news that the cancer had returned, this time in a different form, more aggressive, and would require much stronger treatment.

Once again Katherine fought to overcome this significant challenge. For 18 weeks she attended the hospital weekly for chemotherapy, gritting her teeth while wearing an ice cap of -15c to preserve her hair. Family, friends, and colleagues came and sat with her during these sessions to provide support and help pass the time.

For those lucky enough to know Katherine, she is one of the most kindhearted, spirited, and caring individuals you will meet. She is also extremely driven and takes an enormous amount of pride in what she does and, like the first time, despite everything continued to work, travel, and support her colleagues in the best way she could throughout it all.

We are delighted to say that Katherine finished her final treatment last week and is once again in remission. To mark this moment, she was supported by her family and friends as she rang the famous bell to mark the end of her treatment and the start of a new chapter. She still has a long road ahead but with a very positive outlook.

We asked Katherine what she’d like people to take away from her story and she shared the following with us:

• ‘Early detection and regular screenings ultimately saved my life - please get yourself checked.’
• ‘Having strong support systems, including family, friends, and survivor-led groups were crucial for my emotional well-being and reduced that feeling of isolation.’
• ‘Please never give up, you will be amazed by the strength that we all have inside us.’

We’re so proud of Katherine - her story has been filled with moments of fear, courage, and ultimately triumph and we hope by sharing her experience it will spark a sense of possibility and hope to keep faith in your own journey or that of a loved one.