A message to all mums

This morning I was talking to a young mum of three whose courage and spirit takes my breath away.

One day in March she was in the bath when she suddenly found a lump in her breast. She ignored it for a few days, then realised it wasn't going anywhere and made an appointment to see her GP, who quickly referred her to hospital. Two more lumps were found, and within a week she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer. The outlook was bleak. On the morning of her mastectomy she kissed her three children (aged 10, eight and two) and her husband goodbye and tried not to let them see the tears in her eyes. 'I kept thinking – what if it's the last time I see them?' she told me.

Fortunately, just seven months after the operation and six bouts of chemo, Julie, 35, is doing 'fabulously'. She is convinced that what got her through was the incredibly speedy response of the  NHS, her positive attitude – and the fact she found that lump in the first place. As you probably know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – when you have five minutes to spare, please take the time to click here and make sure you know what you're looking for.

written by Liz Jarvis