A loving mum and "health fanatic" received devastating news after going to the doctors when she started to feel more tired than usual.
Natalie Hughes, from St Helens, found lumps in her neck and within weeks her "world came crashing down" when she was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma.
Since being diagnosed on March 21, Natalie has had several blood tests, biopsies, CT and Pet scans across four different hospitals and was given the heartbreaking news her cancer was stage four.
Devastatingly, the 29-year-old mum-of-one was given the heart-breaking news that her cancer had spread to her bones and was working its way through her vital organs.
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Sister Natasha Ashton, 34, told the ECHO: "She got checked in March and was diagnosed really fast, straight away. It was devastating, we are all heartbroken. She was at the gym every day, healthy eating, she is the last person you'd expect it to happen to.
"She's just amazing, she's my rock. She's the rock for us all. She's really inspiring, I don't know how she's dealing with it all."
The family is bravely sharing Natalie's journey in the hopes of raising vital awareness as they urge people to know their bodies and to seek out medical support if anything is out of the ordinary. Natasha said: "As a family we want to raise awareness of the cancer that Natalie has and it can happen to anyone."
The family is hoping Natalie, who was studying a second degree in therapeutic counselling, will be able to go abroad for treatment which could increase her remission time. Natasha added: "We want her to have a longer life and be in remission for longer. It's incurable but this treatment gives her a longer time in remission. It's already spread everywhere."
Natalie, who has a degree in health and social wellbeing, is said to be coming to terms with everything and is currently seeking out treatment options. The family said: "Us as a family alongside Natalie are trying to come to terms with everything that is happening right now as everything is still raw, it has been truly heart-breaking but the love and support around Natalie is helping her to fight back and try to get through such a tough time."
Follicular lymphoma
According to Cancer Research UK, follicular lymphoma is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Each year around 2,600 people are diagnosed in the UK.
Common symptoms include:
- Painless swellings in the neck, armpit or groin - these are enlarged lymph nodes.
- Heavy sweating at night
- High temperatures that come and go
- Losing a lot of weight
- Some people also report unexplained itching
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