A LANARKSHIRE mum who thought she had a trapped milk duct while breastfeeding discovered she had an aggressive form of cancer.
Ten years later, Roseann Quigley, from Wishaw, is hosting an afternoon tea to raise vital funds for the charity which supported her through the devastating diagnosis and treatment.
Charity worker Roseann was 34 and getting ready for a friend’s wedding when she discovered a lump.
She said: “It was March 2011, and my son Ethan was only seven-months-old. It was my first night out with my husband Stephen since having our baby, and as I was getting ready, I felt a hard, sizeable lump in my right breast.
“I made an appointment but was told it would probably be a trapped milk duct because of my son’s age.”
Twelve weeks later, an ultrasound confirmed the lump was triple negative breast cancer.
Around 4700 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Scotland every year, and 15% of these cases (more than 700 Scottish women) will be triple negative.
Treatment requires a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, which can come with gruelling side effects.
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When Roseann was diagnosed, she was caring for both her newborn Ethan and for her father, who lives with her and her husband Stephen.
While she had the support of Stephen, her mother-in-law and friends, Roseann turned to Breast Cancer Now for additional care and advice.
She explained: “There are so many scary statistics on triple negative survival, but thankfully I found Breast Cancer Now who were able to provide me with the information I needed to understand the disease and risk of it returning.
“I am celebrating my 10th year after finishing treatment by giving back to the charity that supported me since day one. I feel really grounded and positive, and I’m grateful every day to be at this milestone."
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In May, Roseann completed a 300k cycling challenge to raise funds for the charity and on August 19, she is hosting an afternoon tea for her friends and family.
“Ethan is now 10 and he is going to be selling sweets to help show how grateful he is that his mum is still here with him today,” she smiled.
To take part, visit breastcancernow.org/cuppa.
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