A brave mum said her harrowing battle with breast cancer has changed her life for the better.
Emma Hughes, 36, had both her breasts removed after being diagnosed with stage three cancer.
But after surgery, her brush with death gave her the confidence to change her life for the better.
Ms Hughes, from Blackwood Wales, left school aged 16 with no qualifications and started working at a call centre "with no real aspirations" before getting married.
Two decades on, everything changed when she found a lump on her breast in 2019 and she received her shock diagnosis.
She was encouraged to return to education and train to be a nurse after the care she received in hospital, reports Wales Online.
"I had a lack of direction when I was younger. I didn’t know what I wanted to do and had no GCSEs," she said.
"Now I wanted to re evaluate my life because of cancer."
As a healthy non-smoker, Ms Hughes went to the GP not expecting the small lump she had noticed to be the worst possible news.
Within weeks, she was having surgery and chemotherapy.
During the pandemic in 2020, the mum faced the lonely isolation of undergoing a double mastectomy alone in hospital without her husband Ieuan or other visitors for support.
She had a hysterectomy which plunged her into early onset menopause and had so many surgeries and medications she’s lost count.
Meanwhile she was worried about her 13 year-old younger son, Bailey, who has additional needs and is non-verbal.
Ms Hughes said despite it being a tough time, spending so much time in hospital inspired her to become a nurse.
She knew with no qualifications that would be hard - if not impossible.
But the mum of two was determined and took voluntary redundancy during her recovery and joined a college class.
During the course, she noticed an advert for a university access course and applied for something she said she would never have had the confidence to try before cancer.
"I’d spent a lot of time in hospital and was so inspired by the nurses, the care I received and the job they did," Ms Hughes said.
"Because of that experience and my experience caring for my younger son, I wanted to become a disability nurse."
During her two years on the foundation course, Ms Hughes underwent more surgery and chemotherapy but she was determined not to give up.
"In 2020, I was in hospital during the Covid pandemic and not having any visitors. I walked into having a double mastectomy alone because of the Covid pandemic.
“I realised if I could do that I could become a mature student. I have re assessed my life.
"It’s a cliché but it was the case that a brush with death made me re assess my life after cancer diagnosis.”
Ms Hughes said Ieuan and her older son Iestyn, 15, have been “a fantastic support”.
When the foundation course ended in September, she immediately began a disability nursing degree course at the University of South Wales in Pontypridd.
"The course is so hard but I feel so much more well equipped coming from the access course. I am 36 now and managing at university," she said.
"This definitely would not have happened without cancer. Without cancer I would still be plodding away.
"I would say I believe in myself a lot more now. I would never have had the confidence to step back into education if I had not been faced with what I faced.
"I am so lucky to have made a recovery and decided I was not going to waste another moment on self doubt."
Ms Hughes said Bailey’s diagnosis with learning disability, autism and ADHD gave her resilience to be a parent to a non-verbal child with additional needs.
Furthermore, her experience of breast cancer gave her determination and confidence to train as a nurse, she added.
"When I look back on the last four years since my diagnosis I know I am not the same person. I have purpose and direction," she continued.
"My cancer was stage three and had spread to my lymph nodes but I have had the all clear now. I have exams around the corner and am doing well.
"While I was going through all my medical procedures, I imagined how difficult it would be for people with disabilities, like my son who is nonverbal, to go through something like that.
"The reality is that people with such issues tend to have less favourable outcomes when it comes to illnesses due to the communication barriers they face.
"I did worry that not having GCSEs would mean that a career in healthcare would never be an option for me and I didn’t know Access to HE courses were available, but they’ve been life changing for me.
"After just two years in college, I’ve gone from having zero qualifications to having a diploma with 39 distinctions and a place at university - somewhere I never thought I’d go.
"I would recommend anyone else who is thinking about doing an access course to just do it."
Ms Hughes just completed her first placement as a Learning Disability Nurse.
"I loved it," she said.
"I can’t believe I’m working towards my dream career and have to pinch myself sometimes. I feel like I have a lot to offer the industry from my personal experiences and can’t wait to get stuck in.”
The mum of two has crowned her achievements by receiving the Outstanding Commitment to Study award at this year’s Agored Cymru Access to Higher Education Learner of the Year awards.
