Angela Chan describes herself as ‘a mother, an artist, an academic and a campaigner for equality’. She’s also a jazz singer who found the courage to pursue her musical ambitions after being diagnosed with stage four cancer.
‘I sang through the biopsies,’ says Angela. ‘I sang through all the scans, I sang through chemotherapy… it became the thing that really pulled me through.’
We spoke to Angela about her journey with cancer and how the support she received from Macmillan Cancer Support helped her connect with creativity and return to singing.
Angela’s story: the diagnosis
When Angela was diagnosed with secondary cancer in January 2025, she was given a bleak prognosis. Having already undergone treatment for breast cancer six years earlier, discovering that the cancer had returned was a devastating moment.
This time, she was told it was stage four suspected lung cancer with a poor prognosis. Thankfully, the results of the biopsy corrected the diagnosis to stage four breast cancer. It was a more optimistic prognosis, but Angela still had eight tumours and a long journey of treatment ahead.
‘I have three children – twins who are 13 and a 15 year-old – and I was really angry at the idea that I might not be able to see them grow up and have families of their own,’ says Angela.
There was, Angela says, a great deal of ‘unknowing’: a turbulent, unsettled time for her and her family, and many unanswered questions. It was during these early stages of the secondary cancer diagnosis that she first turned to Macmillan Cancer Support.
Support during a time of crisis
When Angela received her secondary cancer diagnosis in 2025, she was left feeling disempowered. She found support from Macmillan’s trained nurses who, she says, ‘pick up the pieces the moment you walk out of the consultant’s office and are hit with the full force of the news’. Cancer affects more than health. It can impact relationships, finances and emotional wellbeing, and Macmillan also helped Angela through some of the more practical challenges.
Angela also felt unsure about how to talk to her children about what was happening – it was something she’d faced before, seven years previously. 'This time was much harder,' she says. 'The kids are now 13 and 15 and more aware, and the news was much worse. I came across Macmillan’s literature on how to talk to children about cancer.'
The advice helped her navigate difficult conversations with her children and maintain an open dialogue. 'I started to report back to them about my progress… and treat them like the intelligent young scientists they are,' she explains. 'I think they take their lead from me in how they feel about my cancer. If they see me singing and enjoying life, they worry less…'
Gifts in Wills help to fund over a third of Macmillan services and a gift in your will can help ensure everyone living with cancer, across the UK, has access to the same level of care.
Having access to direct support and information from Macmillan gave Angela space to carry on with her life and focus on what she loves. 'Returning to music has allowed me to make creative connections, to work towards something I loved at the worst time, and to live out a dream. Macmillan has supported me by helping me navigate, and by giving me the practical and emotional support to do the things I love.'
Angela’s story: singing as healing
Happily, Angela has responded well to treatment, and while her cancer diagnosis was incredibly frightening, it was, she says, the ‘reassurance, kindness and guidance’ of Macmillan Cancer Support and its services that helped her find quality of life through her creative pursuits during the most difficult time.
A keen singer in her twenties, Angela had set aside performing jazz for her career in TV, but her cancer journey gave her the courage to find a band and book a gig. Music has also given her a renewed sense of control over her life.
‘Actively engaging with sound and music allowed me to feel like I was taking back control and making sense of what was going on at quite a deep level,’ she explains. ‘When I sing a Nina Simone or Billie Holiday song, or African American spirituals, I can express sadness in a way that I can’t express in words – and it does me good. I’m not sure about acceptance, but it makes me feel like I am really living.’
Why leave a Gift in Wills to Macmillan Cancer Support?
Those who pledge a gift in their will to help fund Macmillan services leave a powerful legacy, says Angela. ‘Music and sound have been a profound part of my recovery,’ she says. ‘Focusing on making music has allowed me to open up a positive, receptive space.’
Almost one in two people in the UK will get cancer in their lifetime, but no two cancer experiences are the same. Angela has a special message for anyone considering leaving a legacy.
‘Think about how many people’s lives you will change with your gift – and how, unfortunately, it’s likely that someone in your family or a friend will one day need that service. That’s a hell of a legacy.’
Macmillan’s support helped Angela rediscover her love of music. A gift in your will makes it possible for Macmillan to do whatever it takes to help more people with cancer get the best care the UK has to offer, whoever and wherever they are. To find out more about how to leave a gift in your will to Macmillan Cancer Support, order your free Gifts in Wills guide.
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