To highlight cancer’s big wait problem, we commissioned operatic composer and soprano, Monica McGhee to write a piece of music which symbolised her own journey with thyroid cancer and highlight the stress and worry felt whilst waiting for cancer treatment.

Monica discovered a lump in her throat while warming up for a concert, not long after singing to millions at a packed Wembley FA Cup Final. Despite initially being dismissed by her GP, Monica recognised the potential impact the unknown growth could have on her singing career and pushed for testing, ultimately receiving a thyroid cancer diagnosis. With her career as a soprano on the line, Monica opted for a partial thyroidectomy to give her voice the best chance of recovery, even if that meant facing a 5-9% chance of recurrence.

“As an opera singer, I am fortunate to still have a career after discovering a tumour in my throat and will be eternally grateful for the swift surgery and effective treatment that put me on the road to recovery. Tragically, that isn’t the experience of 77,000 people in the UK every year, which is why I felt compelled to lend my voice to anyone who feels unheard, and unseen, at such a difficult time.”

Monica performed and recorded About Time with tenor Toby Spence and pianist Lee Michael Walton, who both survived cancer and shared their stories through moving interviews we recorded for the campaign.