I was excited to become a nanny, but then I found out I had breast cancer

In January 2023, I started the year feeling so excited to become a nanny. My eldest daughter was due in March.

I found out in February that I had breast cancer

My world fell apart. I didn’t have any signs, and I found out by accident. It all happened so quickly, and I didn’t have time to think.

Telling my children was the hardest part. At the time my eldest daughter was 36 weeks pregnant, and I also had 2 teenagers. My husband was by my side every step of the way, and I needed to keep going for the kids.

Roll on March – I had my first surgery on my son's birthday to remove my tumour. The margins were clear, but unfortunately it had spread to my lymph nodes so I had to go back in for surgery a week later.

All the while my daughter was waiting to give birth. Luckily for me, my beautiful grandson was 12 days late. This gave me time to heal and be present at her labour.

Then in April the whirlwind of chemotherapy started, with hair loss, exhaustion and everything that comes in between. Wig shopping was something I never thought would take over so much of my time!

Radiotherapy was next, 10 sessions. It felt like a breeze after chemotherapy – and with my amazing family, I got a new chauffeur every session! We got some great selfies as memories of this time.

Then came the hard bit

Adapting to the forced onset of early menopause and ongoing adjuvant treatment is hard. Everyone thinks you’re OK, when you feel rubbish.

Breast Cancer Now have been an amazing source of knowledge. The health information, the forum and the socials are so up to date and relevant. I could always go to their page and check on surgeries offered, chemotherapy drugs and what to expect.

I was also able to share the health information with friends and family on my next steps, letting them know what to expect as well. They were such a brilliant tool throughout this rollercoaster.

I wanted to get involved and raise funds

Any cake I’ve made always comes out flat. But I always try my best and knew Afternoon Tea was all about getting people together. So, I thought I’d give it a go.

Everyone was really up for it, and I had lots of support from family and friends.

My Afternoon Tea had a mixture of storebought and homemade goodies – with help from family and friends. Alongside the bakes, we had a raffle, played music and had a brilliant bake-off competition. The afternoon went on into the evening.  

I decided to use JustGiving and had a QR code to share my page. It was so easy for people to donate and the money went straight from JustGiving to Breast Cancer Now. It was amazing seeing the donations going up and up – even people I didn’t expect donated which was really special.

Before the day, I was worried if people would enjoy themselves. But it didn’t take long to see everyone was having fun. It was a great atmosphere, and it was nice to see how involved and generous everyone was.

My highlight was seeing all my nearest and dearest together having the best time.

I’m thankfully doing well and adjusting to life after breast cancer

I feel so lucky that I get to enjoy life with my beautiful family.

The feedback from my Afternoon Tea has been so positive. In fact everyone keeps asking ‘are we going to do it again this year?’ to which I answer ‘yes!’.

If you’re thinking of holding an Afternoon Tea, I’d say just do it. The fundraising is so important and knowing that you’re contributing to Breast Cancer Now’s life-saving research and life-changing support is amazing.