A 25-YEAR-OLD Islander said she felt “honoured” to give a speech at an event at the Royal Albert Hall to help raise money for a charity which supports young cancer patients.
Antonia Rubio flew to London for the Teenage Cancer Trust fundraising concert last week to share her journey of battling thyroid cancer.
The week-long annual event, which took place from 18 to 23 March, featured performances from The Who, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and The Chemical Brothers.
Miss Rubio said it was an “honour” to be given the opportunity to raise awareness of the charity’s work in providing specialised nursing care and support services for young cancer patients nationwide.
She became an advocate for young cancer patients after she posted videos about her experience on social media – clips which have received millions of views and attracted the attention of national cancer charities over the past year.
In her speech, Miss Rubio spoke about what it felt like to be diagnosed with cancer as a young woman.
She described how, at the start of her journey, she felt there was a lack of representation for her age group – a gap she aimed to bridge through her social media presence over the past year.
She explained: “When I would look on the TV, adverts or online, a lot of what I was seeing was either very young children portrayed as having cancer or the older generation such as adults who were married and have kids.
“And it didn’t feel like I fitted into any of those categories, so when I was approached by Teenage Cancer Trust, it was a really significant moment for me as I finally felt like I’d found a community that represented me and my experiences.
“They understand that there isn’t a one- size-fits-all approach to having cancer.”
She also spoke about the significant role played by the charity in funding a specialist nurse at the General Hospital who provided invaluable support throughout her journey.
She finished her speech by saying: “I could go on for hours about the impact this charity has had on me. But the fact I am standing here today is the only proof you need.”
Miss Rubio, who is now cancer free, saw the fundraiser as the “end of one chapter and the start of another”.
She added: “It was a very full-circle emotional moment to be invited to speak at the event on my ‘cancerversary’, one year after I was diagnosed.
“When I found out I had cancer in March 2023, I thought it would be the end of my life. But it has been the making of me.”
She added: “It was an honour to be chosen as there are so many amazing deserving young people and I was really proud to be recognised and praised for the work I’ve been doing over the past year.”
