Julia’s brave cancer story is inspiration to others on that journey

I’m a great believer in the saying: a problem shared is a problem halved. But I also know it’s not always easy to admit you are struggling. Facing a serious illness like cancer, for example, can be a lonely business because, unless someone has gone through it, how can they truly understand what you are feeling?

That’s why I always applaud celebrities like this week’s cover star Julia Bradbury who has bravely shared her cancer journey.

If you’ve seen Julia’s documentary Breast Cancer And Me, which charted the first raw days after her diagnosis and her mastectomy, you’ll know that despite her upbeat attitude she has been through a traumatic and painful time.

I can’t imagine how much harder it must have been to go through all that with a camera crew in tow. But by doing so, she has given hope to thousands of women currently going through treatment.And, as she tells us in her interview on pages 6&7, the process of sharing her experiences has helped her too.

She says:“The documentary I made was done to hopefully usefully share what happened to me, but it also helped me reflect on everything.”

A year on from her diagnosis, Julia says she is finally able to look to the future with positivity. And it shows. A few days after our interview she posted a video of herself on a beach holiday, looking gorgeous in a bikini.

Seeing her looking so vibrant and defiant will be a boon for anyone coping with breast cancer right now, as it shows this awful illness can be beaten. So please, Julia, keep on sharing.