Meet Mel Linford: 'I don't want my kids to be scared of the word cancer'
When mum of two, Mel found a lump on her breast in February 2020, she remembered seeing Helen Addis talking about Lorraine's Change and Check campaign and decided to get an appointment in the doctors that day and 2 weeks later at the screening, she got diagnosed with breast cancer.
Having been diagnosed just before the pandemic, Mel's journey has been very different to what she imagined as her children have been at home with her all the way through her treatment. She shaved her head together and she often makes sure her children are as aware of what she is going through as possible.
Read more: Dr Hilary explains how to check your breasts
Read more: Male breast cancer: How to check
Mel wants to make sure the children are included in her cancer journey and to be as open as possible and not to be scared of the word cancer.
Mel shares the highs and lows from her journey, including how it affected her friends and family, how the children have become more involved and what day to day life looks like as a mum during Covid-19 with breast cancer.
Our new series, My Change and Check Story, follows the lives of 5 women who we diagnosed with breast cancer thanks to Lorraine's Change and Check campaign. They share their personal story, the highs and the lows and highlight the importance of checking your breasts.
Read more about our incredible women and their stories:
Meet Sally: 'I discovered a lump after seeing a Love Island star support Change and Check'
Download the Lorraine Change and Check sticker here