A woman who feared she would be left infertile after discovering she had a lump while in the shower has welcomed a baby into the world after beating cancer. Kayleigh Turner, now 32, found a lump in her breast while she was showering when she was 26 and she initially thought nothing of it because she was so young.
But after deciding the right thing to do was to see her GP and get it checked out, she was sent for extra checks - which revealed she had stage two breast cancer and a tumour which was fast growing but had not spread to her lymph nodes yet. She was told she would need to have chemotherapy and radiotherapy - which left Kayleigh fearing she might not be able to have a child with partner Josh in future, YorkshireLive reports.
Kayleigh was sent to a fertility specialist where some of her eggs were harvested and frozen alongside some embryos as a back-up plan for the couple in case they needed them. However, they were thrilled to learn they had conceived naturally and baby Quinn was born earlier this year.
The North Yorkshire private banking manager said her baby girl is a "little dream" after the trauma of battling cancer, which saw her go through nine months of treatment with partner Josh and parents Sue and Mark by her side. Kayleigh said during her treatment, she was the youngest person in the hospital ward, with many people there much older than her.
Despite feeling daunted, Kayleigh said the team at the hospital were "incredible" and she is now cancer-free and keen to help anyone else going through what she went through. She said it is important to know your body and get any concerning symptoms checked out immediately.
Speaking about her experience, she said: "It was a bit of a curveball – we weren’t expecting that. I did assume it would be normal.
"I was in the shower when I found out, and to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t specifically feeling for a lump. I noticed something felt different. I said to Josh, do you think that lump is normally there?
"I just assumed it was normal but the right thing to do was to go and get it checked out."
She added: "Everybody says you’re too young for that really but the doctor was brilliant and said let’s refer you on for extra checks – but I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about."
Speaking about baby Quinn, Kayleigh said: ""She’s a little dream, quite an easy baby and a happy little soul."
Kayleigh supports the Cancer Research UK Race for Life each year and tries to spread the word to friends about the importance of knowing their bodies and getting any symptoms checked. She said: "I do think it’s important and especially for younger people. One of my friends has since had a lump and they’ve messaged me and said what do you think? It’s important to just be familiar with your normal and not be frightened to ask questions if it’s something unusual."
She added: "Success stories like mine would not be possible without research into better and kinder treatments, that’s why I’m lending my heartfelt support to this vitally important campaign. Every action big or small could help make a difference. So, I hope people in North Yorkshire will Stand Up To Cancer for me and everyone affected by this devastating disease."
Cancer Research UK spokesperson for North Yorkshire Michaela Robinson-Tate said: "Thanks to our supporters, every day our researchers are working tirelessly to help more people like Kayleigh survive. They’re finding ways to stop cancer from resisting treatment. They’re improving technology to detect cancer faster and boosting the immune system so that it’s better at destroying cancer cells.
"But there’s so much further to go. One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. All of us can play a part to help beat it. That’s why we’re asking everyone to Stand Up To Cancer this autumn and raise money that could help get new tests and treatments to those who need them most. If we all stand together, we can save lives."
To fundraise or donate visit su2c.org.uk
