Sarah saved my life says healthy Tipp mum of four
TIPPERARY mum Leona Doyle said reading about the tragic death of Girls Aloud’s Sarah Harding from breast cancer saved her life.
The mum of four (35) had just finished breast-feeding her youngest daughter when she found a lump but and assumed it was a swollen milk duct.
But when she read about how Girls Aloud star Harding - who died a year ago this month - had written off a painful lump as a cyst, Leona got on the phone to her GP.
“I remember reading how she had put off seeking medical attention when she found lumps, so I decided it would be best to get myself checked out by my GP,” Leona said.
Her GP referred her for a mammogram and a biopsy - and she was diagnosed with Stage 3 invasive ductal breast cancer (IDC), the most common type of breast cancer accounting for 80 per cent of all cases.
It had spread to her lymph nodes, but the doctors told her it should respond to treatment so she was determined to keep confident.
Leona had a mastectomy and received radiation, chemotherapy and Zoladex injections. She will be on breast cancer treatment and prevention drug Tamoxifen for the next 10 years.
Spread
“I am so glad that I went to my GP that day,” said Leona, who has now finished her treatment, is cancer-free and is looking forward to the future with her family.
Sadly, by the time Harding was diagnosed, the cancer had already spread to other parts of her body and she died at just 39.
Leona is among many breast cancer patients and survivors from around the country calling on people to join the Care for Your Pair movement, to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October by learning the breast cancer warning signs and starting conversations with loved ones about breast health.