A devastated mum has told of her horror at being diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant with her second child.
Teacher Jennie Holloway, 34, found the lump while she was in the shower in 2018.
Gloucestershire Live reports that at first she wondered if the lump was a blocked milk duct in her right breast as she found out she was recently pregnant, and had her son Joshua the year before in 2017.
But her husband Andrew insisted she get the marble sized lump checked out and after she was referred to specialists on November 19.2018.
Just weeks later the couple were able to see their baby for the first time on a scan on December 17.
Jennie said: “The lump was under the skin and it was large. I felt in when I was in the shower and I asked Andy to take a look and we got it checked out.
“I went to the doctor and was referred."
On December 19 after our first scan, it was confirmed I had breast cancer and it was an aggressive tumour.”
Despite the cancer being described and termed as aggressive, it was considered to be stage one.
A plan was put into place by the oncology team at Cheltenham hospital.
She said: “The cancer was at the first stage. I had the operation under general anaesthetic, when I was around 14 weeks pregnant.
“I was told the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes so I had all of those removed.
“Before the operation I felt so reassured. The woman who performed the operation knew exactly who she wanted on her team.
“I remember her saying ‘I know the team I want to look after you and baby’.
“That was lovely and I felt like I was in safe hands.”
Despite feeling reassured by the surgeon, thoughts were racing in Jennie's mind.
She said: “I was very surprised by the diagnosis. I was thinking it could be the start of the end.
“After the operation I started chemotherapy. I was able to have five of the six treatments which were scheduled.”
Andrew said: “The way Jennie dealt with everything was remarkable. Being pregnant and going through chemotherapy, she brushed off the feeling nauseous down to the pregnancy and did not really consider the chemotherapy.
“She had five of the chemotherapy sessions before we had Daniel.
“It was decided that Jennie would have an elective Cesarean section. Then she would have the final chemotherapy treatment after he was born.
“Jennie was awake when she had the baby and seeing him was indescribable. All of what they went through and he was born just as any normal baby.
“They came home soon after and were not in longer because of all the treatment Jennie had, we were home to be a family together just a few days later.”
They named their baby Daniel and his older brother Joshua was over the moon at the new arrival coming home.
Jennie haas now had radiotherapy through to October 2019, and has been taking medication since.
However they are embracing life as a family even though there will be need for check-ups and scans in the future.
Daniel is now 21 months old and Joshua now is three-years-old.
Jennie has now launched a fundraising drive to thank MacMillan cancer care.
He said: “I have always pushed my self when it comes to challenges for charity.
“What I am doing with this challenge is no exception.
“So on June 6, I am tackling 304km of Welsh roads on behalf of the charity to raise money for them.
“The support Macmillan gave to us as a family was brilliant, and so I wanted to do something to give back to them so they can continue their support, especially as during the Covid pandemic their level of funding has dropped and their need has increased.
“We had so much support from our close friends from the Mariners church in Gloucester Docks.
"We never went without a cooked meal. We were so well looked after and prayed for. We had that terrible news back then but we were given hope straight away.”
