My Leg Was Used to Rebuild My Tongue After Cancer: How a Woman Turned Survival Into Strength

When 52-year-old Candi Hulley went for a routine dental check-up, she didn’t expect it to save her life, or change it forever. What began as an ordinary appointment turned into a shocking diagnosis, mouth cancer.

Within weeks, Hulley found herself in a 12-hour surgery that would test the limits of modern medicine and human resilience. Surgeons removed nearly half of her tongue, then rebuilt it using tissue, veins and an artery from her leg. “It’s strange to think part of my leg is now my tongue,” she says, with a wry smile that only recently returned.

Her recovery was a grueling one month rest in the hospital, six months before she could return to work and countless hours relearning how to eat and speak. “I had to start from scratch. There were times I wondered if I’d ever speak clearly again” Hulley recalls.

Behind her personal struggle lies a broader health crisis. The Mouth Cancer Foundation reports over 3,000 deaths from mouth cancer in the UK last year, which is a 20% rise in just five years. Yet awareness remains alarmingly low, with only 17% of people familiar with its symptoms.

Hulley’s story explains how crucial early detection can be. “A dentist found mine. But anyone with this circumstance, your GP or your pharmacist can help if you notice something unusual” – she says.

According to the NHS, symptoms to watch for include mouth ulcers lasting more than three weeks, unexplained lumps, red or white patches, pain, or difficulty swallowing.

Meanwhile, dental schools like Peninsula Dental School are training future dentists to spot early warning signs and educate patients.

Hulley made the experience a mission, saying “I want people to know what to look for. If my story makes just one person check sooner, it’s worth it”.

Her leg may have rebuilt her tongue, nevertheless her voice is strong and steady once more, doing the real rebuilding now by campaigning to help other take quick steps to check.