A WOMAN has shared how she found out she had breast cancer on the very day her mum also received a devastating diagnosis.
Stevie Wise, 40, from Withington, Manchester, had almost skipped her own hospital appointment to support her mum, Belinda, who was undergoing tests for suspected cancer.
But a gut instinct told Stevie to go – a decision that would ultimately save her life.
Initial tests indicated that the lump Stevie had found in her breast was cancer. Just hours later, Belinda was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.
“It all happened in one day back in summer 2023,” said Stevie. “I was told that what I thought was a cyst was actually cancer. Then I called my mum and her tests had revealed the full extent of her diagnosis. I didn’t cry. I just thought, ‘Right, what’s the plan?’”
Scans revealed two tumours and visible swelling under Stevie’s arm. Doctors confirmed she had grade 3 breast cancer that had already spread to her lymph nodes. While she immediately focused on treatment, her mum struggled to even talk about what was happening.
“Mum had been in pain for a long time and kept falling over,” said Stevie, an education consultant. “But she’d hidden it from everyone. By the time she was diagnosed, it was too advanced. When she didn’t respond to treatment, we all knew she was dying, but she wouldn’t talk about it. She was terrified.”
What followed was a brutal year for the family.
Stevie underwent a mastectomy, reconstruction, chemotherapy and radiotherapy while her mum’s condition continued to worsen.
“It was a really awful and stressful time,” Stevie said. “My surgery wounds kept opening, and my mum was really poorly. I’d just finished chemo and radiotherapy when mum died. She was 63.”
Around the same time, Stevie was given life-changing news of her own.
She said: “I was told there was no trace of my cancer left. But I didn’t ring the bell. It just didn’t feel like the right time.”
Instead, Stevie waited and earlier this month finally celebrated surviving cancer by throwing a huge party for her 40th birthday.
She added: “It felt like I was owed a celebration. Aging is a privilege. I’m so happy to be alive.”
As part of her ongoing treatment, Stevie is taking targeted therapy drug, abemaciclib, as well as hormone therapy drug, tamoxifen, both of which Cancer Research UK helped to develop.
Now, she’s determined to give something back by urging people across Greater Manchester to sign up to Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life and help fund future breakthroughs.
“My friends carried me through it,” she said. “They took it in turns to stay with me, look after me and help me recover. That’s what this is about, all of us, together, all in against cancer.”
Although treatment has left her with lasting fatigue and mobility issues, Stevie says she’s learning to live life on her own terms.
“I’m a different version of me now,” she said. “Instead of running and cycling, I swim and go for long walks with my dog Cooper. I take things at my own pace. Anyone can do Race for Life, it’s about showing up.”
Race for Life events will take place across Greater Manchester this year including Haigh Woodland Park, Wigan on May 7th, Woodbank Memorial Park, Stockport, on June 7th and Heaton Park on July 4th and 5th. Further afield there are events at Delamere Forest, Cheshire on May 17, Victoria Park, Warrington on Jue 28th and Tatton Park, Cheshire on June 27th and 28th. Distances include 3k, 5k and 10k, plus the muddy obstacle course Pretty Muddy at selected sites.
Every year, around 45,800 people are diagnosed with cancer in the North West. Money raised at Race for Life enables scientists to find new ways to prevent, detect and treat the disease - moving closer to a world where everyone can live longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer.
Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson in Manchester, Jemma Humphreys said: “Sadly nearly 1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime** but all of us can support the research that will beat it. Race for Life powers progress and it relies on a whole community of people coming together, united by a common purpose to beat cancer.
“For those who do enjoy a challenge, our 10k events will again be chip timed, perfect for anyone wanting to track their progress or aim for a personal best. But Race for Life is non-competitive. People can walk, jog or run and go at their own pace. What matters most is showing up together. There is a race for everyone and we mean everyone.”
Since it began in 1994, more than 10 million people have taken part in Race for Life, funding 30 years of hope and progress.
Over the past 50 years, Cancer Research UK funded scientists have helped to nearly double breast cancer survival in the UK. The charity also helped prove the link between tobacco and cancer, preventing millions of deaths worldwide.
To sign up, visit raceforlife.
