A barrister and mother-of-two has issued a heartfelt warning about the vital importance of insurance after being diagnosed with an aggressive secondary cancer, leaving her family in financial peril.
A devastating rediagnosis
Kelly Hill, 41, known professionally as Kelly Cyples, first received a cancer diagnosis in February 2024. After enduring 21 weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she rang the all-clear bell in December of that year, believing the disease, which was in her lymph nodes, had been defeated.
She returned to work as a self-employed public barrister in 2025, striving to recover lost earnings. However, in September, she began experiencing severe lower back pain, exhaustion, and a persistent cough. Her proactive GP ordered scans and blood tests, which revealed the shattering truth.
"I got there thinking I probably had a severe kidney infection," Kelly recalled. "But then they showed me the scans and said ‘Sorry, your cancer has spread’. It had gone into my bones, my lungs, my liver and my lymph nodes."
The financial impact of critical illness
The relapse means Kelly is once again unable to work through her treatment. As a self-employed professional, she receives no sick pay, plunging her family into significant financial difficulty. She has been unable to secure any critical illness cover or income protection since her first diagnosis.
"I didn’t have any of the insurance in place when I got diagnosed," she explained. "And once you’ve had cancer, none of the insurance companies will touch you. They might if you’re cancer-free for many years, but I only went cancer free for just under a year."
To support the family, friends have organised a fundraiser on December 19, featuring a festive tractor run and an evening event, with proceeds going to Kelly and her children.
A vital message for the self-employed
Kelly is now urging others, especially those who are self-employed, to learn from her experience. Her central message is a powerful call to action for financial preparedness.
"My biggest message to everyone who is 18 and above is to get insurance. Not just life insurance. You need stuff to keep you afloat while you’re still here," she stated.
"Because you never know when you’re going to need it. I didn’t think I would at 39. It was on my list of things to do, but I put it off because I was still young. But I was definitely wrong."
Kelly is careful with what she shares with her two young children, who know about her diagnosis but are shielded from the details and prognosis. She emphasises that her story shows critical illness can strike anyone, at any age, underscoring the necessity of being financially protected.
