Helen Addis imagined she would be dancing on her 40th birthday, instead she was recovering from surgery, after being diagnosed with breast cancer just like Sarah Harding
Helen Addis, 46, works in TV and lives in Surrey with her husband Mark and children Archie, 15, April, 13, and Belle, 11. Here she shares her own story...
Until one day, while moisturising, I found a lump beneath my right nipple. I wasn't too worried because I was relatively young and fit, with no family history of cancer. I presumed it was hormonal but booked a GP appointment. My doctor referred me to a consultant to rule it out. But in the following two weeks another four lumps appeared.
I went into practical mummy mode, while my husband, who'd accompanied me, sobbed. I felt really let down by my body, like I didn't deserve what was happening. We found April distraught because, she told us, "Dad was reading a book about dying." She'd seen Mark carrying a Complete Guide To DIY manual and got confused!
On my toughest days, it was raising awareness that kept me going. I launched a campaign called Change And Check on ITV show Lorraine. As a result, 48 women contacted me saying it had helped them catch cancer early. But I've lost friends, too. I'm passionate about the next generation growing up body aware. My daughters already know how to check their boobs.
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