At Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, we meet incredible people who show us every day that courage, joy, and hope are possible—even in the face of life-changing diagnoses.
Two of those people are Tina Dickinson and Karen Hill who join on our Talk of Hope podcast. This September, both will step onto the stage at our Strictly Ballroom fundraiser in Manchester, swapping everyday clothes for sequins and sparkle.
Their stories remind us that even when life feels uncertain, you can still keep moving forward—sometimes even with a little glitter.
Listen now on Talk of Hope
Tina’s Story: Dancing with LAM
Tina has lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare lung condition that slowly reduces lung function. She now relies on portable oxygen, something she’s had to adapt into her dance training.
“Before my diagnosis, I never stopped moving,” Tina says.
“I worked in stewarding, ran up and down the steps at Manchester Arena, and even did dance classes. Slowly, I just got more and more tired. At first, they said it was asthma—but eventually a CT scan showed hundreds of cysts in my lungs.”
Even with her oxygen, Tina has found ways to keep dancing. “I’ve had to get creative—I cut holes in a backpack so I could safely carry my oxygen concentrator while I practice. It’s not glamorous, but it works.”
And she has a goal for the big night: “My nurse said I can try dancing without oxygen for 90 seconds.
“It will take everything I’ve got, but I want to prove that just because my lungs are broken, the rest of me doesn’t have to be.”
Karen’s Story: Finding Joy After Lung Cancer
Karen’s journey began with breathlessness and a cough that was put down to long Covid. But after further tests, the truth emerged.
“The nurse thought it was long Covid,” Karen recalls. “But after an X-ray and CT scan, they told me straight away—it was lung cancer.”
Her cancer had already spread, and at first, the outlook seemed bleak. “I thought I wouldn’t make it to Christmas. I wrapped all my presents early, thinking it would be my last.”
But then came a lifeline—targeted therapy. “It gave me hope again,” Karen explains. “Two years on, I’m still here. I’ve climbed Snowdon, I’ve cheered my daughter on at sporting events, and I’m planning for my son’s wedding next year. Now I’m about to dance in front of 500 people.”
For Karen, Strictly Ballroom is about more than fundraising.
“I want my children to look back and think: that was my mum. She was so ill, but she still did that.”
Facing Fears, Finding Joy
Both Tina and Karen admit they’re nervous about performing, but they’re choosing courage over fear.
“It’s not just about the dancing,” Tina reflects. “It’s about showing that life doesn’t stop with a diagnosis. You can still find joy.”
Karen agrees: “I was terrified at first, but then I thought—why not? Life is for living. If I can do this, maybe it will give someone else the courage to keep going too.”
More Than Just a Dance
Strictly Ballroom is about glitz and glam, rhythm and entertainment—but for Tina and Karen, it’s also a celebration of survival.
For Tina, it’s proof that a rare lung disease can’t take away her spirit.
For Karen, it’s about leaving a legacy of resilience for her children.
For both, it’s about hope—that even after a diagnosis, life can still sparkle.
When Tina and Karen take their first steps onto that glittering ballroom floor, it won’t just be a dance. It will be a message: that hope survives, that life can still be lived, and that even in the face of lung cancer, you can still sparkle.
“Courage doesn’t always roar,” as the saying goes. “Sometimes, it dances.”