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Natalie Yates-Bolton has a long history with cancer, after first being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma when she was only 22 years old. She had treatment for this, but the lymphoma returned 14 years later, when Natalie was 36 years old.
After treatment for the second lymphoma, Natalie sadly dealt with another cancer diagnosis, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 43 years old. The breast cancer then returned on another 2 occasions.
Despite her health problems, Natalie has remained positive. She’s now a grandma, has had a successful career as a lecturer in nursing and has kept fit by taking up long-distance running. In fact, Natalie has completed 6 marathons, 3 ultra-marathons and 3 triathlons!
Natalie says that early detection was so important with her first cancer diagnosis. She said that one of her cancers wasn’t found as early and if it had been delayed any longer, she might not have survived.
Like Natalie, Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding was also young when she found out she had breast cancer. She was just 39 when she sadly died from the disease and her last wish was that research would mean that other young women wouldn’t have to go through what she did.
Dr Sacha Howell, an oncologist at The Christie, wants to lead to research to identify young women who are most at risk from breast cancer, and this will help with early cancer diagnosis. The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal is raising money for this research, and Natalie’s in full support of the appeal.
“My life can be plotted by 5 diagnoses of cancer but the view I prefer to take is the life experiences I have had because of the treatment I have received.
“I know how I value each day, month and year of life I have had after each diagnosis; I see the study Dr Sacha Howell is undertaking into the early detection of breast cancer as an investment in the future of young women whose lives can continue in wonderful ways even after cancer diagnoses and treatment.
“It is important that people get behind this campaign as good intentions and a skilled medical and research team aren’t going to make the study happen. People need to agree to be participants in the study when they’re asked and people need to continue to donate to the fund. By taking part and donating people are investing in the development of knowledge which will save lives and enable people to live full lives during and after treatment.
