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A Positive Legacy for Lucie
At age 29, Toby is turning the most difficult time into a positive legacy, inspired by his partner, Lucie, who passed away from cancer at age 28. He is embarking on his third Tour de Luce, a challenging team cycle he set up to fundraise for Guy’s Cancer Charity.
Life is short and you don’t know what’s next – so don’t think about it, just go and do it.
Toby and Lucie had their first date on Valentine’s Day in 2020 – a day that Lucie had always hated. Despite that, they clicked and were soon in a relationship. They both loved rugby and had a shared sense of humour, which was lucky as Lucie would often tease Toby about his team’s poor performance.
In February 2022, two years after Lucie and Toby first met, Lucie found a lump in her breast. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with breast cancer at just 27 years old. Over the next six months, Lucie received personalised care at Guy’s Cancer Centre, undergoing chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and radiotherapy.
“I was in shock. But Lucie was very practical – straight away she wanted to know the next steps. Throughout her treatment, she remained so positive,” Toby recalls.
Following an amazing post-treatment trip to Borneo and Singapore, Lucie started to get headaches. Unfortunately, Lucie’s cancer had spread and, following a series of tests, she was diagnosed with brain cancer. Lucie had specialist surgery to remove the tumour on the back of her brain, and radiotherapy, but her health continued to deteriorate.
Toby stayed by Lucie’s side throughout her treatment, only popping home to get her engagement ring. The couple got engaged before Lucie sadly passed away at age 28.
“Nothing made sense at first, and I miss her every day. A year on, I’m learning to live in a different way. Colour is coming back into my life. I want to do the things we’d planned together for Lucie… I’ve got to be positive because that’s how Lucie was,” said Toby.
Going through cancer is meant to be the worst experience ever. But Guy’s Cancer made things easier at every step… We spent so much time there together, so I’ve found it helpful to stay connected to Guy’s Cancer. They kept us positive.
