She found love in a hopeless place.
Finding love in today’s digital dating world is no east feat — especially if you’re going through a life- changing experience.
This is what happened to a young woman diagnosed with cancer — who swiped for love and to her surprise, found her dream man.
Nella Pignatelli was only 22-years-old when she was diagnosed with B-cell acute leukemia.
She had to undergo grueling treatment for months. After almost a year, to have something to look forward to once she got on the other side of her cancer battle — she downloaded the dating app, Bumble.
“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 told Need To Know.
Pignatelli decided to mention in her dating app profile that she had recently undergone chemo. “I think that acts as a screening process,” she explained.
To the 22-year-old’s surprise, Pignatelli matched with Kelvin Hinchcliff — whose life was also deeply affected by cancer.
“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,” Hinchcliff said, according to Need To Know.
“I knew it wasn’t going to change who she is, and I just wanted to get to know her,” he said.
Pignatelli was surprised — in a good way — by how caring Hinchcliff was, considering her circumstances.
“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,” the young woman explained.
“I remember one guy I was speaking to straight up said he could not handle it.”
About a month after meeting online, the two finally met in person for a first date.
“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!” Pignatelli said.
“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,” she added.
Chemo was not the only obstacle for this young couple — about two months into their relationship, Pignatelli faced another health complication.
She was diagnosed with pneumonia and spent a week in the hospital on the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at UCLH — with her new beau right by her side.
Fast forward to know, the couple is still going strong despite the many health hudrles they overcame. The live together with their dog and are saving up for their wedding.
“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,” Hinchcliff said.
“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,” Pignatelli added.
