A Swindon schoolteacher feared she would not see her 35th birthday when doctors found breast cancer shortly after she became a mum and bride.
Sarah Gallagher credits groundbreaking research with saving her life following a heartbreaking diagnosis last year.
She noticed a small lump while in the shower one morning in March 2022 and asked her mum to take a look.
The then-33-year-old booked an appointment with her GP on the same day and heard that the lump was likely to be a cyst.
Sarah returned to her GP two weeks later because the lump had not gone away and she was then referred to a breast clinic.
She remembers the day of her diagnosis, March 17, 2022: “I was told not to worry. I had an appointment nine days later and had an ultrasound.
“Things changed when I could see what looked like a black mass on the screen and heard the consultant telling me that it was certainly not a cyst.
“Then I was taken into what I would call the ‘sad room’ with plastic flowers and a couple of people in there to tell me the news, I knew what was coming.
“I remember having had a cry and saying out loud that I didn’t want to die.
“The lovely nurse said it wasn’t something to consider right now, although no one knew when their time would be.”
The Deanery CE Academy employee heard that the type of cancer she had was aggressive and invasive, but the results of a clinical trial carried out in August 2022 gave her hope for the future.
The Keynote-355 trial confirmed that the immunotherapy drug known as pembrolizumab worked well as a new treatment for that specific type of triple-negative breast cancer, and she received the drug straight away.
Since finishing her treatment, Sarah has turned 35, returned to work as a secondary school teacher, and made more memories with son Reggie, who celebrated his second birthday in April and her husband Dan.
Sarah added: “A cancer journey is a rollercoaster that never ceases to amaze me.
“You truly experience extreme highs and extreme lows and everyone’s journey is different.
“I’m so grateful for the treatment that saved my life, meaning I get to enjoy all the wonderful things – big and small - I feared I’d never get to see or do.
“Research into better treatments has given me the greatest gift - more time with my loved ones.
“I’ve celebrated my 35th birthday, have taken part in Race for Life and raised £4,000 by shaving my hair off prior to surgery, moments that were impossible to imagine when I heard those devastating words: ‘It’s cancer’.
“But sadly, not everyone diagnosed with cancer will reach key milestones – and that’s why Cancer Research UK’s work is so vital.”
Sarah is urging people to support Cancer Research UK's 'Together We Are Beating Cancer' campaign as data released by the charity reveals that around 1.2 million deaths have been avoided in the UK since the mid-1980s due to advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Alison Birkett is Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson for the south west.
She said: “Our research breakthroughs mean every day, people are being diagnosed earlier, have access to kinder and more effective treatments, and some cancers are prevented completely.
“We’re grateful to Sarah for sharing her own experience. But around 36,800 people are still diagnosed with cancer every year in the south west.
“By donating, fundraising, taking part in one of our Shine Night Walks, or volunteering at our shops, you could fund new discoveries that will help more people reach the life-changing moment when their doctor says: ‘It’s gone.’”
Visit cruk.org/donate
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