Brave 26-year-old mum Karlah Daly from Leeds is battling stage 2, grade 3 breast cancer, and had her first round of chemo just weeks ago leaving her "very poorly".
The young mum lives in Morley with her two-year-old son Ezekiel who motivates her to keep going. Telling Leeds Live that "there's no point being sad", despite "the brutal chemotherapy", likely hair loss, and pressure on her mental health.
Karlah is passionate about spreading awareness and sharing her story on social media - using her Instagram account to urge young women to "check their boobs", reminding her young followers "you're never too young to have cancer". Since her diagnosis, lots of young women have flooded her inbox, one telling her "if it weren't for you I wouldn't have got checked."
"I never in a million years thought I'd ever get cancer, never, and here we are - so I thought I'd document it so other people can see it's real and it does happen". Read on to learn more about Karlah's journey with breast cancer.
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My life with cancer at 26
"When people say you're too young for cancer that's not true" - Karlah
17th June
"I am staying positive because there's no point feeling sad"
Karlah gave us an update ahead of her second round of chemo and is "feeling a lot better". "You do learn to live with it," she said.
She told Leeds Live that her son Ezekiel is her rock, "I don't think I would be able to be so strong if it wasn't for him".
After an MRI, Karlah is waiting to find out whether or not her left breast has been affected: "I said to my breast cancer nurse if that's the case I want a full mastectomy. I don't trust my boobs".
4th June
"My first round of Chemo - I knew it would be brutal and it was"
After biopsies and repeat ultrasounds the young mum had her first round of chemotherapy. "I just wanted to get on it as soon as possible, I knew it would be brutal and it was brutal".
An MRI showed up that her left breast may be affected as well as her right but the clinical oncologist didn't find anything in an ultra-sound.
29th April
"Is it something I've done?"
"I don't smoke, no family history and I was very healthy. I was thinking what have I done and my consultant just said most (of the) time it's just bad luck or genetics".
"I found out I had breast cancer in my right boob."
Although the 29th of April was the official date Karlah got the letter from the oncologist, she felt knew weeks before when she had her ultrasound - "as soon as they put the scanner on the lump I could see their faces change. I started crying".
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