Essex's woman's battle with cancer inspired her to become a paramedic

Katherine Murrell in hospital
-Credit:London Ambulance Service


A young woman who has survived cancer three times became a paramedic - to "give back" to the NHS. Katherine Murrell, from Great Dunmow was first diagnosed with cancer when she was just 16.

She underwent six months of gruelling daily chemotherapy before being given the all-clear - but later received two further diagnoses. Now 27, Katherine is finally cancer-free - and has said her experience with the NHS is what inspired her to join the London Ambulance Service. She said: "I’ve now spent 11 years going to regular hospital appointments time and time again. When you get that used to it, you want to give something back – that’s my mentality I suppose."

When Katherine was 16, she started suffering from back pain and went to see her GP. Initially, doctors thought her symptoms were due to a trapped nerve - but when she experienced rapid weight loss she was referred for blood tests. Her entire life was turned upside down when these led to a diagnosis of stage four lymphoma - a blood cancer which affects the immune system.

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Katherine spent six months undergoing chemotherapy every single day and was ultimately given the all-clear. However, seven years later, she noticed a swollen lymph node in her neck and worried that the cancer had turned.

A biopsy revealed that her lymph nodes and thyroid were cancerous - and would have to be removed. The surgery was successful and Katherine was once again given the all-clear. However, a year later, two more of her lymph nodes were found to be pre-cancerous - and so these were removed as well.

Katherine is finally cancer-free - and has said her experience with the NHS is what inspired her to become a paramedic
Katherine is finally cancer-free - and has said her experience with the NHS is what inspired her to become a paramedic -Credit:London Ambulance Service

In 2023, Katherine decided she wanted to undergo a double mastectomy - as having radiotherapy so young had increased her risk of breast cancer. But as Katherine prepared for this, a tissue sample revealed a very small tumour in her breast. This prompted a third cancer diagnosis.

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Fortunately, Katherine still had the double mastectomy and has been cancer-free since the end of 2023. And now, she has shared how her experience with cancer inspired her to become a paramedic.

As Katherine was first diagnosed with cancer while she was doing her GCSEs, she was unable to go to university - and hadn't yet figured out what she wanted to do as a career. But when she was rushed to a hospital in her late teens due to a complication of her cancer, her interest in paramedicine was sparked.

Katherine said: "The staff were so incredible. When we got to the hospital, that’s when it really hit me that the medic crew was amazing and how cool it would be do something like that. They got to me really quickly and then gave me exactly what I needed. I now know that was just in a day’s work for them, but the care they gave has really stuck with me."

Katherine trained to become an emergency medical technician (EMT) in the London Ambulance Service and actually received her second cancer diagnosis on the day she graduated. But she thinks this has made her more empathetic and able to better relate to her patients.

She said: "When I was training, I was petrified because I suspected I had thyroid cancer and wondered if I could still work at the Ambulance Service, as well as wondering if I was going to be alright. Then the breast cancer came along and that really tested me. But now, months on from those diagnoses and with an all-clear, it has not impacted my career at all. If anything, it’s enhanced it. It has made me acutely aware of my abilities, my empathy, and compassion – it’s given me that skill.

Katherine from Great Dunmow underwent six months of gruelling daily chemotherapy before being given the all-clear at just 16 - but later received two further diagnoses
Katherine from Great Dunmow underwent six months of gruelling daily chemotherapy before being given the all-clear at just 16 - but later received two further diagnoses

"Now, any time I go to a cancer patient at work, I am so empathetic – I just get it. It’s a connection I have with these patients – an emotional connection of course, but more than that I have a real understanding of the physical aspects of what they are going through, like the hair loss and everything else.

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"When I see it I literally know what you are going through. When I go to patients like that – that’s when the penny drops for me that I’m in the right job. I get this wave of happiness that I’m in the right place, I’m where I belong. I come away and I feel like I’ve been able to give someone a little bit of positivity about what they are going through. It’s a strange feeling but it has made me realise I’m definitely in the right path."

Katherine said she tries to "reframe" what happened to her to see things in a more positive light. She said: "People would assume that the time I spent sitting in a hospital getting treatment was just horrible - but I like to reframe it more positively. For me, I got so much exposure to medicine and clinical pathways in that time – I use that knowledge I gained from those experiences every day now. I truly believe it has enriched my learning and work in my current role. So now I use it as a superpower and I’d advise anyone going through a similar situation to try to do the same."

Katherine returned to work in early 2024 and is currently thriving in her career. She said: "I’ve probably got 30 years of my career left and so that’s a long time to explore different avenues and opportunities. That’s the big thing with London Ambulance Service (LAS) – there are so many different teams which allow you to do different things. It’s not just a one size fits all. If you want to go and try something – there’s nothing stopping you."