Nurse in race to help fight cancer

Julie Nyamande (32), will be the guest of honour at Race for Life at Clumber Park, Worksop on Saturday 21st June.

Julie is urging mums, daughters, sisters and friends to enter either the 5k or 10k events at Clumber Park over the weekend of 21 and 22 June, or Pretty Muddy on Sunday 13th September.

The mum-of-two was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 after finding a lump in her breast. At the time, Julie was 35 weeks pregnant with her youngest child, Ethan, who is now six months old.

Julie said: “I instinctively knew something was wrong and went to my GP and requested a referral. It turned out it was a grade three tumour and had I not been diagnosed, I might not be here now.”

Two weeks after being given the devastating news Julie was induced and baby Ethan was born by natural delivery. Just five days later she was admitted back into hospital for a lumpectomy, to remove the tumour, and lymph nodes removed.

She said: “It was supposed to be a happy time with the birth of Ethan, but I immediately had to go back to hospital.”

Not only was it a difficult time for Julie coming to terms with her diagnosis and the treatment while trying to care for a newborn baby, but because it also brought up a lot of painful memories of her mum, who died of cancer shortly after the birth of her first child, Amelia, in 2006.

Another challenge for Julie has been adapting into her new role as patient instead of her usual role as nurse at John Eastwood Hospice in Sutton-in-Ashfield where she cares for patients with cancer.

She will be taking part in memory of her mum with a group of 15-20 family and friends, including colleagues from the hospice and they hope to raise as much money as possible for Cancer Research UK.

Anyone wanting to sponsor Julie should visit http://www.justgiving.com/happy-feet16

To enter Race for Life events, visit www.raceforlife.org or call 0845 600 6050.