A kind-hearted Airdrie cancer survivor gave a “hugely informative” talk and presentation to Monklands Rotarians.
Sheila McNicol from Breast Cancer Now was invited along to a Coatbridge, Airdrie and Monklands Rotary Club meeting to highlight the organisation’s outstanding work supporting people with breast cancer, and their families.
As Lanarkshire Live previously reported, Sheila, 63, won her brave 12-month battle with breast cancer in 2016 and is now giving something back to others in a similar position by working as a volunteer and guest speaker for Breast Cancer Care.
Sheila told us: “I give talks for the charity and have spoken at golf clubs and afternoon teas .
“This lets me talk about the charity, which is my passion, and telling my story helps both me and others by showing there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Former teacher Sheila had been troubled by ill-health since birth, when she had benign tumours, and was given her devastating cancer diagnosis in January 2015, after finding a lump on her breast a month earlier.
She said: “I was told I was going to lose my shoulder-length blonde hair, which I loved and had worked so hard to keep. That’s when it really hit me that this was serious.
“My treatment was horrendous and the chemotherapy meant I went totally off food as I was very sick.
“I eventually decided to go to a hairdresser to get my hair shaved off. I waited until the last minute but my hair was falling out everywhere.
“Cancer really does take everything from you and it was a very scary time.
“I hated my wig with a passion at first and was terrified it would fall off but didn’t want to go out without it.
“But after my treatment had finished I woke up one Saturday morning, when my hair was about a quarter of an inch long, and said to my partner Ross, ‘I’m not wearing my wig anymore’.
“Ross’ family owns Diamonds night club in Airdrie town centre and I went to the club that night with no wig on and I felt great. It was the first time I accepted me for who I am.”
Responding to Sheila's guest appearance, a spokesman for the Rotary club said: “Sheila gave an in-depth presentation describing breast cancer in both men and women, highlighting the many signs and the importance of self-checking.
“We’d like to thank her very much for coming along and delivering a fantastic talk.”
Visit here for more details on Breast Cancer Now and its work.
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