A mother from Portishead who was given just 12 months to live in 2015 has defied medical expectations and is still alive seven years later. Heidi Loughlin, who was diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant, delayed treatment to give birth to her daughter Ally, who was born 12 weeks premature but sadly died shortly after.
Ms Loughlin attributes her survival to maintaining good mental health and staying active. 'It's amazing to outlive my prognosis and everyone is scratching their heads why I'm still here,' she said. She attends chemotherapy every three weeks and focuses on positive plans for the future.
Reflecting on her journey, Ms Loughlin said she hopes to leave a legacy for her other children. 'When I got my cancer diagnosis, my sons were one and two and all I could think was that they wouldn't remember me. If I were to die next week, my children would know their mum was brave, stubborn and funny.'
Ms Loughlin also praised fellow cancer campaigner Deborah James, who recently announced she was in the end stages of her cancer journey. 'Rather than give up and say 'I'm a cancer patient' Deborah has raised so much awareness. She has shown people that you can live with stage 4 cancer,' Ms Loughlin said.
