Woman who discovered cancerous lump credits survivors Facebook post for saving her life
'Things could have ended with a very different outcome for me'
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Your support makes all the difference.A woman has credited a Facebook post for saving her life after it helped her spot a cancerous lump in her breast.
Jayne Dandy, 51, decided to self-examine after reading tips on a social media post by cancer survivor Hayley Browning.
In the post, Browning said she had always followed the advice of doctors who recommended checking for changes while standing up in the shower.
However, after discovering what proved to be a cancerous lump while lying down she then urged other women to do the same.
The potentially life-saving tip went viral in February last year and was seen by hundreds of thousands of women – one of whom being Jayne Dandy.
After seeing the post, Dandy checked herself later that night and found what she thought was a lump in her right breast.
She was later diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer despite showing no obvious symptoms and subsequently underwent a mastectomy and intense course of chemotherapy.
Having recently been given the all clear, Dandy now says that she thinks reading Browning’s post was fate and is “eternally grateful” to her for sharing her story.
“In reality, if it wasn't for Hayley, I wouldn't have checked myself in the way she suggested,” Dandy said.
“I contacted Hayley straight away to thank her for sharing her story and to let her know that her post had potentially saved my life.
“It's a sobering thought to think that but for that one post, things could have ended with a very different outcome for me.”
Browning who now works for Breast Cancer Care says that she is “overwhelmed with emotion” after being contacted by Dandy who credits the post for helping to save her life.
“When I wrote the post, I never imagined the reach it would have and it's really thanks to every single person who shared it and helped get the message out there,” Browning explained.
“Not only is it fantastic that 30 people contacted me to let me know they had found their lump because of my post and have since had the treatment for breast cancer.
“But it's brilliant that so many millions of people are now more aware of the importance of checking their breasts because of my post, especially checking lying down.”
In a bid to continue spreading her message, Browning is now climbing Mount Snowdon to raise money for Breast Cancer Care. You can donate here.
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