Heidi Loughlin: brave mum with cancer welcomes mastectomy in candid interview
A mother with breast cancer who delayed chemotherapy to give birth has revealed why she welcomed news she needed a mastectomy.
Heidi Loughlin was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer when she was three months pregnant. The cancer is rare and aggressive, but luckily for her, Heidi jokes, so is she.
The police officer and mother of two is determined that a disease affecting only 500 women in the UK will not define her.
She's even brutally pragmatic about having a breast removed.
Heidi had previously been too ill to undergo the procedure. She'd delayed chemotherapy to give her daughter, Ally Louise Smith, the best chance of life. Ally was born last December but sadly died at just eight days old.
In a moving blog she detailed the pain of losing her daughter, and says it means she can cope with the physical challenges of her illness.
Now she's accepted a film crew into her life to chart every devastating aspect of inflammatory breast cancer.
Even though it might be too painful for her to watch right now she want to raise awareness about the rare condition.
Heidi has also written a children's book which is awaiting and illustrator.
The 33 year old's prognosis is unknown but she's certain about one thing:
"Nobody I knew had any idea about inflammatory breast cancer, no one's heard of it in my circle, and that's not good."
Far more than one person is going to know about Heidi, her condition and the heart-breaking year of a remarkable woman.
The documentary will be broadcast this autumn.