Mum's breast cancer awareness 'trek of a lifetime'

Rebecca Horne said she could not imagine at the age of 35 she would go from "being pregnant to breastfeeding to sudden menopause, all in the space of a year".

The mother from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, was diagnosed with breast cancer 18 months after giving birth.

Now in recovery, she is heading to the Isle of Skye with breast cancer charity CoppaFeel! for a 62-mile (100km) trek on 14 June to help raise awareness of the disease, especially among young people.

"If you find something and you go and get it looked at, you've got the best possible chance of a good outcome, the earlier it's found," Ms Horne said.

Ms Horne, who lives with her partner Ian and their four-year-old son Theo, said she "had a horrible feeling that it was something sinister" when she found a swelling in her armpit.

The mum, who said she has a family history of the disease, mentioned the symptom at a follow-up GP appointment for her son.

"Within a few days I was seen at the Churchill Hospital and I was told on the day that it was breast cancer," she said.

Following the diagnosis, Ms Horne, who is part of Oxfordshire County Council's adult social care team, said she was off work for about 13 months.

She underwent treatments including chemotherapy, breast conserving surgery and radiotherapy, followed by hormone suppressants.

"It's not ideal to receive a cancer diagnosis at any time of our lives but it feels particularly hard when it is in those early years of motherhood," she said.

She said she noticed the signs after seeing a sticker for Change and Check, a breast cancer awareness campaign led by ITV presenter Lorraine Kelly.

Ms Horne was invited to join a choir set up by the campaign after contacting the show's producer to say how it had helped her.

She said it had "really taken off last year", with the choir recording a version of Love is All Around with singer Marti Pellow.

After live performances on Lorraine and at the Royal Variety Performance in front of King Charles III, the choir was invited to the King's reception in recognition of community-based cancer support charities at Buckingham Palace.

"It's been such a privilege to be part of it and be able to use our platform to raise awareness," she said.

She is now preparing for what she described as a "trek of a lifetime", which she said "is really part of my recovery".

"I thought it would be really nice to have a goal to train for and to distract me from the worries that come from a cancer diagnosis," she explained.

Ms Horne said while "there is a lot fear around going to get checked" it was important "to prioritise our health".

"As busy young women, we forget," she said. "But it is about making time to do the things that we need to keep ourselves fit and well.

"And remembering that you can't pour from an empty cup, you have to be well in yourself to look after others."

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