Jacqui Hill knows better than most what a difference a day makes.
On 16 August 2009, Jacqui and her husband Chris were as happy as they thought any couple could be: it was their first wedding anniversary and they had just discovered that Jacqui was pregnant with their first child. The next day, her doctor called to tell Jacqui the results of her biopsy on a breast lump had come back – she had breast cancer.
Not only did Jacqui, then aged 30, have to face a lifethreatening illness, she and Chris had to make the heart-breaking decision to terminate the pregnancy – knowing that cancer treatment, especially chemotherapy, could affect Jacqui’s fertility.
Jacqui’s doctors were determined to ensure she had every chance to fall pregnant again. In between surgery to remove the cancerous lump and chemotherapy, Jacqui had IVF to secure her eggs for future use. “My breast surgeon was keen to link me in with fertility specialists,” Jacqui says. “It was a really high priority for her.”
Jacqui has directly benefited from increased efforts to ensure that young women with breast cancer have full information about how treatment can affect their fertility. NBCF-funded research has led to the development of key resources to ensure fertility issues are high on the agenda when a young woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.
Jacqui completed treatment in 2010 and is now in good health. In 2012, her daughter, Harriet, was born. Jacqui, a clinical nurse educator, supports NBCF because she is passionate about research.
“Initially I supported research to find a cure for myself and others with breast cancer,” she says. “Now my motivation is for my daughter. I dream of the day I tell Harriet my breast cancer story, assuring her that she is safe because we have found the key to prevention, or better still we have the cure.”
Help us protect families like Jacqui’s from the heart breaking effects of breast cancer. Your donation today will go towards vital research to help us achieve our goal of zero deaths from breast cancer. Click below to make a donation today.
More News Articles
View all News
