Rachel's Rule: Signs in plain sight by Stuart Ball (8 February2026)

Summary

This is the story of a woman who should still be here. A woman who spent her life lifting others, never knowing the danger quietly growing inside her. It is also the story of a husband who loved her with every part of his being, and who now fights to make sure what happened to her never happens to anyone else.

Rachel Ball was funny, gentle, stubborn in the best way, and endlessly kind. She lit up classrooms, steadied frightened pupils, and brought out the good in everyone she met. For decades, her body was sending small signs, clues scattered across appointments, hospitals, and years, but no one ever joined them together.

By the time the full picture emerged, it was too late. The missing piece revealed itself only at the very end, when nothing could change what it meant.

In this memoir, Stuart Ball takes readers through the love they built, the life they shared, the warnings no one recognised, and the final fight that changed everything.

Further reading on the hub:

• How one woman’s missed referrals exposed a systemic gap in hereditary cancer care: Why I'm campaigning for Rachel's Rule