I never thought much of it when I found a small lump in my breast in June 2023. A few years earlier, I’d had a harmless cyst, so I wasn’t immediately worried. I felt some occasional pain, but I brushed it off. I was looking forward to a summer holiday and didn’t want anything spoiling that. Like so many women, I put it to the back of my mind. 

It wasn’t until the end of September that I finally made an appointment with my GP. From there, things moved quickly. I was fast-tracked to the breast unit at Altnagelvin and seen just a week later.

During the mammogram, they said they needed to do an ultrasound. That was the moment I felt something wasn’t quite right. I then had biopsies taken and a tiny coil inserted. I was asked to return at 4pm for the results. My husband David came with me, but I told him to stay in the car. I don’t know why – maybe I thought I could handle it on my own. But then a member of staff walked me to the consultant and asked, “Do you have anyone with you?” That was when I knew. It was 4 October 2023 – the day everything changed.

My surgery was scheduled for 3rd October to remove the lump, and I was told I’d get results ten days later. I counted every single day. Then, the night before I was due to hear back, I got a call to say there was a delay.

Being told I had breast cancer felt like stepping into a movie scene. Everything around me blurred. But my mind went straight to my daughter Elissa, who was only ten. How would I tell her? How would I tell my family and friends? That was honestly the hardest part.

I didn’t know how to talk about it. I didn’t want to frighten people, so I found myself downplaying the reality. I told people it was stage 2 and treatable – which was true, but I left out the part where it was an aggressive type: HER2 positive. You end up protecting everyone else, even when you’re the one who’s unwell.

The treatment was brutal. I had six rounds of chemotherapy over 18 weeks to try to shrink the tumour before surgery. In March 2024, I had a mastectomy with reconstruction.

But just a few weeks after surgery, I got another shock. They’d underestimated the size of the tumour – it was more than twice as big as they had thought. The treatment plan had to change completely. What followed were 13 more rounds of chemo, radiotherapy, and a different set of targeted therapies. It was exhausting – physically, mentally, and emotionally. I finished treatment on 9 January this year.

Throughout it all, I had incredible medical care and the constant love of my family. But the truth is, cancer is isolating. It feels like you’re on a fast-moving train that you never chose to board. People throw medical jargon at you – drugs, procedures, side effects – and it’s like they expect you to understand it all instantly.

That’s why I’m so passionate about the Cancer Focus NI Therapeutic Cancer Support Centre in Enniskillen. If it had existed a year ago, I would have beaten down the doors to get in. A welcoming, local space offering face-to-face support would have made such a difference – not just for me, but for my family too.

“One of the most valuable things the Centre will offer is a Family Support Service, and that’s something very close to my heart.”

During my treatment, Elissa seemed okay on the surface. She never complained about missing out on activities. But over time, I could see she was struggling. She didn’t know how to express her feelings, and I didn’t always know how to help her.

Thankfully, we were introduced to Lisa from the Cancer Focus Family Support Service. Lisa met with Elissa at school and spoke with her privately about how she was feeling. The change in my daughter was unbelievable. She’s like a different child now – more open, more relaxed, and better able to process everything that happened. I’ll always be grateful for that.

Today, I’m still recovering – physically and emotionally. Cancer has changed me in ways I’m still figuring out. I’m trying not to be too hard on myself, to take each day as it comes. I have a new puppy, Nellie the Westie, who keeps me busy and brings joy to our house alongside our other dogs. I’m slowly getting back to feeling more like me.

One of my goals is to be well enough to take part in fundraising events for Cancer Focus NI. I want to give something back because I’ve seen how vital their services are. I want others to have access to the kind of help that made such a difference for my daughter and me.

I’m in a good place now. I’m making plans for the future again with Paul, Ollie, and Chloe. I’m incredibly grateful to the medical teams who cared for me and to the people who support Cancer Focus NI.