Read our volunteer stories. Christine's powerful story shows that our research can make a difference to the lives of our volunteers. And find out what inspired some of our volunteers to join Viking Genes. Christine's story Christine has lived her whole life in Shetland. She is a volunteer in VIKING I. As part of the Viking Genes return of results programme, Christine found out in 2023 that she was a carrier of the Whalsay BRCA2 variant, which can cause breast and ovarian cancer. Ingrid's Story Ingrid is a Viking Health Study - Shetland volunteer. When she heard we were looking for new volunteers for VIKING II, she shared her story, showing the benefits of receiving actionable genetic results. Kiera's story Kiera is a volunteer in our study, but she also spent some time working with us! Read about why she chose to be so actively involved here. Dot's Story Dot came to visit us on Friday 13th March 2020. It might be an unlucky day for some but she enjoyed her visit and shares her experience here. Andrea's Story Andrea was originally born in Edinburgh and her family has a very interesting history related to our studies. Read more here. Garry's Story Garry has two grandparents from Orkney and, with the help of relatives, is discovering more about his family tree. Read his story here. Heather's Story Heather was born in Canada to a father from Orkney, whose parents were both Orcadian as well. When she heard she heard about VIKING II, she chose to take part. Read her story here. Helga and Ingrid's Story Helga and Ingrid were born and raised in Scotland and now live in New Zealand. Read all about their history and travels here. Lena's Story Lena has a long Shetlandic family history. She has since moved away from the islands but believes they never leave you. Read her story here. Dawn's Story Dawn was born in The Midlands, in the UK, but is proud to have a heritage from Orkney. Read more about why she got involved in the study here. This article was published on 2024-01-25