On 21st December 2022, my life came to a grinding halt. My family and I were no strangers to cancer but this was certainly the most it has impacted our lives, and we spent the following days, weeks and months in shock. Having discovered a lump and being reassured several times by medical professionals that it was likely to be a cyst and to try a course of antibiotics, I was diagnosed with breast cancer - 4 days before Christmas and nearly 2 months after first seeing my GP. Thankfully we caught it relatively early but what was originally diagnosed as stage 1 breast cancer (meaning a lumpectomy and short course of radiotherapy), quickly transpired to be stage 2 cancer and I faced a long year ahead with 15 rounds of chemotherapy, pretty major surgery and 10 consecutive days of radiotherapy.

With the support of my incredible husband, son, family, friends, colleagues and doctors and nurses, I survived it though and am so incredibly grateful to be one of the lucky ones who can move on and get back to living life to its fullest.

Many others will have faced far worse, and I am not one to relish in people’s empathy so I have kept my head down and barely came up for air through all of this. However, now my treatment has concluded I feel compelled to put my energy into doing something good and hope that my story helps many others avoid the same fate.

So on 26th May 2024, along with some colleagues and friends, I will be cycling 100 miles and taking part in Ride 100 London to raise money for a very special charity.

Prevent Breast Cancer unlike many cancer charities, are focused on preventing, rather than curing. Promoting early diagnosis, screening and lifestyle changes, the work they are doing aims to stop the problem before it starts and with our support I truly hope their efforts can ensure our children’s children can live in a world that is free from the devastating burden that cancer has brought upon so many of us. I would love to raise as much as I can to support them, every little helps so please donate whatever you can to help their cause.