A Suffolk mother was diagnosed with breast cancer just one week after giving birth, forcing her to stop breastfeeding and begin aggressive treatment. Sarah Husband, 39, a paramedic, found a lump in her right breast during her third trimester in September 2024, while attending a breastfeeding class. After an ultrasound and biopsy, she was induced and gave birth to her son Ted a week early. A week later, an oncologist confirmed she had a 4cm tumour, and further testing revealed it was HER2-positive breast cancer, a more aggressive type.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Sarah had a total of 20 rounds of chemotherapy, five high-dose radiotherapy treatments, and a mastectomy. Treatment began three weeks after Ted was born. In April 2025, she was told there was no sign of active disease. She described the chemotherapy as “horrendous,” causing pain in every part of her body, stomach issues, loss of taste, and hair loss.
Stopping Breastfeeding
One of the most difficult aspects was being told to stop breastfeeding because cancer treatment via breast milk can harm a baby’s growth. Sarah said she was “gutted” and remembered thinking, “How?” when told to stop. She stopped abruptly, which was against advice, to get an MRI sooner, leading to extreme pain.
Family History and Campaign
Sarah has a strong family history of breast cancer, with her mother, aunts, grandmother, and cousins affected, though no genetic variation has been found. She shares her story as part of the World Cancer Research Fund’s Every Step Tells a Story campaign. Today, Sarah says life is “really good” and Ted is two years old. She is not yet back at work as a paramedic and is receiving counselling to process her experience.
