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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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A woman who rang the bell after months of cancer treatment was delighted to have her family there to witness the occasion—but it was only when she watched the video back that she noticed something even more special.
In August 2024, Alexandra Caldwell was diagnosed with HER2-negative breast cancer at the age of just 27. Facing that at such an early age was immensely challenging, as Caldwell told Newsweek it was "more of a mental battle" than physical. Throughout that time, she had to endure eight rounds of chemotherapy and 10 sessions of radiotherapy.
"The treatment was draining and dealing with the changes in the way I look, while still in my twenties, was really challenging," Caldwell said. "Some of the physical symptoms were things that I hadn't even known about, such as itching all over my body and acne on my face."
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But Caldwell, of Glasgow, Scotland, finally got to ring the bell on February 25 to mark the end of her treatment at the age of 28. Her family was there to support her on the special day, including her 82-year-old grandad, Duncan Mills.
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Mills was a huge support for Caldwell last year, despite going through his own challenges at the same time. He had surgery on his ankle in 2024, and although he is still physically recovering, he wanted to be there to watch his granddaughter ring the bell.
It was only when Caldwell watched the video back of that moment that she realized just how much it meant to her grandad. He could be seen crying in the back of the clip as he watched her with so much pride.
"My grandad and all my family were a huge support throughout my treatment. He was recovering from his operation as I was going through my treatment, so my family were going through a lot last year. But we got through it together, and I couldn't have done it without them all rallying around me," Caldwell said.
After ringing the bell, Caldwell went over to hug Mills, and he congratulated her on beating cancer.
She shared the footage of her grandad's reaction on TikTok (@alexaandracaldwel) and it melted plenty of hearts online. In just a matter of days, the video has amassed over 256,200 views and 29,000 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
Alongside the clip, the caption reads: "That will be my heart broken into a million pieces then."
While her treatment is over, Caldwell will have to keep taking hormone medication for the next few years to reduce the risk of the cancer returning. She will also undergo annual mammograms to monitor her condition over the next five years.
She is now "feeling great" and looks forward to making many more memories with her family—especially her grandad.
"I don't think you realize the trauma that you've gone through until you're on the other side of it. I'm now just trying to navigate life after cancer as best I can," Caldwell told Newsweek.
Since the precious video went viral, it has generated over 180 comments on TikTok already. Caldwell shared many of the responses with her grandad, which they both enjoyed. Although he was left with one very important question: "What's TikTok?"
Among the comments on the video, one TikTok user replied: "Oh great now I'm crying AGAIN. Gosh he's lovely."
Another person wrote: "Protect that man at all costs."
Another commenter added: "trying to be strong for you but you can see how proud he is of you!! Congratulations."
While one respond reads: "Tears of pure relief... look after each other."
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