Adeline Rankin MBBS, PG Cert Clin Ed, FRCS
Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon, RCS Surgical tutor
As a breast cancer surgeon, I have met many strong and remarkable women, but few have faced their diagnosis with the humour, courage and determination of Emma. Her story Thriving with Cancer, Kids, and Other Crap is honest and uplifting; a reminder that even in the midst of fear and uncertainty, there is room for laughter, family, and the everyday chaos that makes life worth living. I hope that her story will uplift and empower countless others navigating their own journeys with cancer - and life’s other ‘crap.
Cindy Cassidy MSC
CBT Therapist
I wish I’d had this book to guide me through my own cancer journey nine years ago. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, tender, and profoundly human.
Emma shares her story with such courage and authenticity, inviting readers to see themselves in her experiences, not just through the difficult moments, but through the humour, hope, and sheer determination that shine through every page.
What makes this book truly special is the way it blends heart and science. Alongside her deeply personal reflections, Emma offers practical, evidence-based tools and exercises that empower readers to take an active role in their healing and wellbeing. It’s a rare combination - a book that makes you laugh, cry, and learn something about yourself all at once.
Emma’s story isn’t just a story of survival; it’s a guide for living with purpose and joy in the face of uncertainty. Anyone walking through cancer, or supporting someone who is, will find comfort and strength in these pages.
Dr Ryan Taylor
MBBS MRCS
A brilliantly written guide for anyone navigating their own or a loved one’s cancer journey. Full of practical tips, moments of joy and laughter, and genuine help with difficult conversations.
Dennis Hull
Life strategist. Relationship & intimacy coach
I’ve had the privilege of being coached by Emma for more than two years, and I can say without hesitation that she is one of the most extraordinary humans I’ve ever known. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, I knew that she would walk through that fire with the same grace, grit, and grounded humour she brings to every part of her life, and to mine. What she’s written here isn’t just a book, it’s living proof of the innate human ability to survive and even thrive in apparent paradox. We can feel fear AND courage, we can surrender to the reality of what is AND lead ourselves and others towards what can still be, we can be in deep pain AND feel and exude joy, even in the darkest places.
Thriving with Cancer, Kids and Other Crap is an unfiltered love letter to being human. Emma doesn’t bypass pain or dress it up in platitudes. She meets it fiercely, tenderly, hilariously, and in doing so, gives others permission to do the same. Her stories pulse with raw honesty and her signature wit, turning the unthinkable into something deeply relatable.
As someone who has worked with women healing from trauma, illness, and the complex relationships they have with their bodies even in the best of circumstances, I recognise the immense power of Emma’s voice. She reclaims her body not as a battlefield but as sacred ground. Her words hold the kind of wisdom that only comes from living every line of it.
Emma’s laughter, her vulnerability, and her no-nonsense truth-telling remind us that even when life dismantles us, we still get to choose love, connection, and meaning. Emma keeps us ‘abreast’ of how to advocate for ourselves in uncertainty, get things off our chest (so to speak), and flush the crap, with humour, heart, and an irrepressible will to love and live…fully.
Andrew Leedham
Business Coach
Emma is a truly exceptional and insightful coach. This book showcases how she illuminates even the most difficult moments with a calm, grounded honesty and a real human warmth to make what feels impossible, firstly manageable and then a stepping stone to a higher level. That is her gift.
Read this book! It will show you the path for how to shine bright and face life’s toughest times with the grace and poise we all aspire to.
Sarah S
Breast Cancer Survivor
I wish I’d had this book when I was diagnosed by cancer. Emma doesn’t shy away from the raw truth of what it means to face breast cancer, but she does it with a lightness and warmth that make you feel like you’re sitting down with a dear friend who truly gets it.
Her story is full of humour, courage, and grace. She captures the rollercoaster of emotions with such authenticity. One moment you’re laughing, the next you’re deeply moved by her vulnerability and strength. Through it all, Emma reminds us that even in life’s darkest chapters, joy can still be found, and that optimism and laughter really can carry us through.
This book isn’t just about surviving breast cancer — it’s about embracing life in all its messy, beautiful imperfection. It’s a truly inspiring read that will comfort, uplift, and even make people laugh when they need it most. I can’t recommend it enough.