A Scots university student who thought she had ‘no future’ after a cancer diagnosis at school has overcome the odds to compete in the UK’s biggest beauty pageant. Seanagh McFarlane was just 15 and preparing to sit National 5 exams when her whole life turned upside down after noticing a small pea-sized lump on her neck.
When she suffered from night sweats and the pain worsened, she confided in her grandfather who is a retired GP who advised the Dumbarton teen to get blood tests. A doctor then quickly referred her to the Schiehallion children’s cancer ward in Glasgow after finding an alarming blood count.
Now 22, she told the Record: “When I went to Schiehallion I thought it was just a day off school and I’d be in and out – little did I know I would be spending the next year there.
“When I got the diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in February 2018, I was in absolute distress. I was just a carefree, teenage girl and suddenly everything was turned upside down. I honestly thought I was going to die.
“While I was watching all my friends going out to exciting events, I was getting treatment, everything normal was taken away from me. All I wanted to do was go back to school and do my exams to fulfil my dream of becoming a lawyer. But when the chemo kicked in, I was too ill to do anything. I just thought I’d had no future.”
Seanagh’s hair started to fall out, while ulcers made her extremely sick and steroids made her put on a substantial amount of weight. She said: “I found people’s eyes were drawn to me all the time as I was so young and had no hair. I just stood out.
“I remember turning mirrors around as I just didn’t want to look at myself. It was so isolating because I found I didn’t want to go out of the house. And I only managed to get three of my Nat 5s so I felt hopeless and all of my confidence just vanished.”
But by September 2018 she was in remission. The news reinvigorated her confidence and brought on a determination to return to Our Lady and Saint Patrick’s High School in her Dumbarton hometown.
“Ringing that bell was the best day of my life,” she added. “I knew I had to go right back to school and get my Highers. I felt constant anxiety, worried that the cancer would come back but I knew I wanted to live my life to the fullest.
“I passed all my Highers and I’m now studying to be a primary school teacher at the University of Glasgow.”
Seanagh is now preparing for her first beauty pageant as a Miss Great Britain finalist in the Glasgow regional heats in June. Miss GB is the longest-running and one of the most prestigious pageants in the UK.
Contestants compete at regional level and who ever wins Miss Glasgow will gain entry into the Miss GB grand final in October. Last year, Seanagh also launched a non-profit organisation called Spirit2Strength that supports women and girls with hair loss providing fashionable scarves and advice.
She said: “I’ve never competed in any pageant before, it just happened to come up on on my social media to apply and I thought, why not. After looking into what it’s about, I realised they’re very much in line with my values; women empowerment and community.
“I also now look at what happened to me as a positive and that’s all what pageants are all about so I was over the moon to be chosen as a finalist. I always wanted to dress up and be glam when going through treatment but never thought it would be me.
“I lost all my confidence and never thought I’d be able to compete in a pageant but now I’m confident in my own skin. It took me two-and-half-years to grow my hair back, so the journey doesn’t end after you’re in remission.
“It’s a long road but I want others to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I have spent a lot of time speaking to girls with cancer, helping them through and I’m glad I get to give something back with the charity.”
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