Erin Lavery, 23, from Cambuslang near Glasgow, survived Stage 3 Hodgkin's lymphoma, but her cancer treatment has left her fertility 'heavily, heavily affected.' Now she faces a race against time and an £8,000 bill for post-cancer fertility treatment - a procedure that would have been free on the NHS if she'd had the chance to preserve her eggs before treatment.

It's a cruel twist: the very treatment that saved her life may have cost her the chance to have children. Erin, a nail technician, was diagnosed in August 2024 after a frustrating 18-month diagnostic odyssey that involved 'consistently going to my GP for a year with symptoms that were adding up by the minute.' If only they'd caught it sooner, she'd have had time to freeze her eggs on the NHS. Instead, she had to 'go ahead and hope for the best on the fertility front.'

After six months of chemotherapy and a month of radiotherapy, Erin is now cancer-free but facing a stark choice: 'It's me having kids or not. It has to happen now.' The procedure costs £8,000, and she'll need two cycles to get the right number of eggs. The NHS won't fund it now because she's already had cancer treatment - a policy that seems designed to add insult to injury.

Erin, who missed two years of work during treatment, is campaigning for NHS egg preservation to be more readily available for cancer survivors. She's documented her journey on TikTok, where she's built a community of followers who 'can't believe this is even a thing.' She admits she's 'a bit lost' with her new role as an advocate, but she's determined to raise awareness.

The Scottish government says it's sympathetic and will review fertility services. Public Health Minister Maree Todd praised Erin's 'strength and resilience' and noted that guidance on fertility preservation already exists, with health boards considering cases individually. But for Erin, the clock is ticking - and the bill is due.