Emilia’s story

I don’t remember the exact moment I first found the lump. Probably because it was something I was trying to put out of my mind. I was trying to persuade myself that I was being dramatic, at 29 I was too young for breast cancer – even google said it was highly unlikely. 
 
And yet… there was a niggling voice in the back of my mind. Every time I touched my breast to see if the lump was still there, reminding me of all of the CoppaFeel! advertising I had seen over the years. In the little label on my bra, on the TV, sponsoring races, stalls at events. Wasn’t that the whole point of the charity? To raise awareness that you CAN get breast cancer in your 20s? 
 
What now feels like a totally reckless wait of 3 months later, I checked my chest in the shower (as was becoming a habit), and found that it was not only still there but actually felt bigger. I panicked and felt a sudden urgency to allay my concerns immediately. Two hours later I was with my GP, who thankfully took me very seriously and referred me to a specialist. 
 
“Why didn’t you come sooner?” he asked. I didn’t feel quite so dramatic anymore. 

After seeing a specialist (who didn’t seem too concerned), getting some scans and a biopsy, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully, it was early stage. 
 
I sometimes wonder what would have happened to me if it hadn’t been for the culmination of CoppaFeel! messaging that I had been absorbing over time. I, like many others, thought it would never be me, but I was still drawn in by the fun campaigns and advertising, which were conveying an important message that might just have saved my life.