About a week later, Duncan and Molly joined Instagram. “My roommate told me about him. “I think he was secretly trying to get us settled,” said Molly. They bonded over a common love for David Attenborough’s documentaries and nature. A week later, they made a short phone call and got it right away. “I found him very interesting and easy to talk to,” he says. The encounter was difficult as they lived so far away and no Covid tests were available at the time. Finally, in November, they were able to go for a walk on social distances. “We could not hold hands or have intimacy, which was difficult, but I knew I wanted to be with her,” Duncan said. “I asked her to become my girlfriend in the first 100 meters of our walk.” Molly was nervous but “really happy Ή It was difficult because I could not even hug him, we had to be so careful”. They continued their relationship remotely on the internet. “He was wearing a suit and I was wearing a nice dress and we were sitting in our living rooms for dinner,” Molly says with a laugh. In December, Molly took a negative Covid test and they were finally able to hug. “It was still outdoors, but it was so wonderful to be around,” Duncan says. Shortly after they met in person, the United Kingdom entered the third lockdown. Molly went home to live with her parents in Yorkshire and continued her studies online. At that time, Duncan’s cancer symptoms returned. “I had some pressure in my throat and at first I thought I might have Covid,” he says. But tests revealed that the lymphoma had returned and a new course of treatment would be needed. In March 2021, before starting chemotherapy, Molly went to stay with him and his family in Kumbria. “I told her I loved her there and then,” he says. “I also told her that there was a lot to deal with and I would understand if it was too much.” The next few months were a huge struggle for both of them. Duncan’s treatment was not successful, which meant another round of chemotherapy in addition to immunotherapy. “There were a lot of ups and downs,” says Molly. “He had anaphylactic shock after one of the treatments and I did not hear from him for hours. The chemotherapy became normal but at the same time it was not real. “I could not go out much, as that meant I could not see him.” In addition to the side effects of the treatment, Duncan also had difficulty trapping indoors. “I was so jealous of people my age that they went out. “We wanted to be a normal couple of 20 years,” he says. Duncan did it in the summer, but had to have a stem cell transplant and a final round of intensive chemotherapy. Now in recession, Duncan will start college again in September as Molly continues her studies. “We look forward to doing normal things,” he says. “We were together in the cinema for the first time and we want to go on vacation. “It ‘s exciting to be able to make plans.” Duncan describes his girlfriend as “a ray of sunshine” Ή She was very strong. During the worst of my life, Molly was there to put up with it. She is also passionate about nature, like me, and beautiful. “ Molly loves that Duncan appreciates her for who she is. “It’s not nonsense and he always defends himself,” says Molly. “We were each other’s support system through this trauma and it made us stronger. He never stops enjoying life. “ Want to share your story? Tell us a little about yourself, your partner and how you got there, by filling out the form here
