A woman has revealed how she met her future husband online after she turned to a dating app as a distraction while having chemotherapy.
Nella Pignatelli was horrified to be diagnosed with B-cell acute leukaemia at just 22, forcing her to spend months of her youth undergoing gruelling treatment.
To keep her going through the tough time, the young woman decided to focus on life post-cancer – and started looking for love.
Deciding to be open about her health and the fact she was now wearing wigs, she felt doubtful that she would find a strong connection.
But after she matched with Kelvin Hinchcliff, 29, whose life had also been affected by cancer, life took a huge turn for the better.
“I was doubtful I would find someone who would straight away be understanding and patient, which is what I needed at the time,” the now-26-year-old, from Barnet, told Need To Know.
“I tried dating while going through the worst of my treatment, but I realised I couldn’t give my all to someone at the time.
“When I was on my maintenance chemotherapy and able to leave the hospital and sleep in my own bed, having that freedom made me realise that I was missing something a lot of people had.
“I downloaded a dating app to give it another go.
“I decided to mention in my bio that I had recently undergone chemotherapy – I think that acts as a screening process.”
Joining Bumble in June 2022, 11 months into treatment, Nella quickly matched with Kelvin.
The two hit it off right away, bonding over both having been affected by cancer.
Kelvin said: “I lost my mother and grandmother to cancer when I was 12, so when I saw Nella’s circumstances on her profile, I just kind of overlooked it.
“I knew it wasn’t going to change who she is, and I just wanted to get to know her.
“If anything, I could understand it a bit better than most people.
“I’d never met anyone who had beaten cancer, so to be with someone who survived it is amazing and allows you to know that it is treatable.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t affect the person.
“There is a responsibility with it, of course, but at the same time it’s not going to change who the person is, and I don’t know if there’s someone as great as Nella.”
Nella was attracted to Kelvin’s “super caring” personality and was pleasantly surprised when he wasn’t put off by her circumstances.
She said: “He was the only person I spoke to that did not rush me or get intimidated when I would speak about my treatment and appointments.
“I remember one guy I was speaking to straight up said he could not handle it.”
The pair met for their first date the following month at a pub between their houses in North London, and chatted for hours.
Nella said: “When Kelvin and I met, I was wearing a wig as I was bald at the time and he did not even know it was a wig!
“I did tell him towards the end of our date that it was a wig as I wanted to be honest, and he didn’t seem bothered one bit by it.
“Once we became official, I still had yet to show him my bald head as I would sleep with a wig on.
“One night we had a bit too much to drink and my wig came off and since then I built up the courage to stop wearing it as much around him.
“He would always remind me that I was beautiful with or without it which really helped my confidence.
“I even started to go out in public without a wig on.”
Two months into their relationship, Nella was diagnosed with pneumonia and spent a week in hospital on the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at UCLH – with Kelvin often with her.
She said: “Having him by my side throughout all this made the experience way more enjoyable and made me forget about how dangerous of a situation I was in.”
And the couple bonded more deeply because of it, with Kelvin adding: “There’s a cheesy saying which applies to us, that diamonds are only formed under pressure.
“Having that quality time together in hospital allowed us to learn about each other, especially because we didn’t have normal day to day distractions”
Nella said that meeting during such a trying time has made her feel “secure” that they would always look out for one another.
Nella said: “Having a partner during a significant part of my treatment was a different kind of support to my family, who had been my rocks.
“It distracted me from the abnormality of it all.
“I had someone who made me challenge myself and my situation – I knew I did not want to stay in bed and rest all day even though I was fatigued and struggling to stand.
“Whilst undergoing chemotherapy, I would go to concerts, learn instruments and travel, which was all possible due to having Kelvin by my side.
“I would often think – if this is what I can do whilst undergoing cancer treatment, I can’t wait for what is yet to come when I get better.”
The couple moved in together shortly after the hospital stay, and two years later in July last year, Kelvin proposed on their two-year anniversary.
Kelvin said: “I wanted Nella to know I was serious, especially as there could be a lot going on in this world, so I wanted her to know one thing for certain.”
Now, the couple are planning a small wedding but are in no rush, hoping to save up for it first.
The couple are still living in Barnet with their dog and are looking forward to their future together.
Kelvin said: “Life is stressful and we’ve been through a lot together already.
“For the three years we’ve been together, we’ve been through about 20 years’ worth of life including illnesses, family health issues and work troubles.
“So, a lot of sadness, but at the same time we’re blessed to be together.
“We’re blessed to have an amazing dog and an amazing family.”
Nella added: “I think that’s what my cancer story really showed both of us, is that you can always find a positive in a really bad situation.
“It makes me feel secure knowing that no matter what, he has my back, and I have his.
“We went through so many ups and downs with my health, and he supported me through it all.
“I knew from this day on that he was going to be the one.
“I also felt that if we could have fun in the most serious of times, that our time together in the future will always be fun and joyful – I was right.”
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