Jayne Dandy, 51, says she is still alive thanks to a social media post on spotting cancer lumps
A Facebook post saved an ‘eternally grateful’ mother’s life after it helped her spot a cancerous lump in her right breast.
Jayne Dandy, 51, says she is still alive thanks to cancer survivor Hayley Browning, who shared alternative self-examination tips on social media that led to Mrs Dandy being diagnosed.
Ms Browning had always followed the advice of doctors to check for lumps while standing up in the shower.
But she felt what proved to be a cancerous lump while lying down at home only for it to disappear when she stood up – and urged women to do the same.
Her potentially life-saving tip went viral in February last year and was seen by hundreds of thousands of women across the world.
For Mrs Dandy, it proved vital when it popped up on her timeline after being shared by her Weights Watchers coach – that same night she found her lump in her right breast.
Her world came crashing down when just a week later a doctor confirmed her biggest fear, she had contracted an aggressive form of breast cancer despite displaying no symptoms.
Mrs Dandy says the heartbreaking moment came just as she was at ‘the top of her game’ after turning 50 last year.
After surgeons performed a mastectomy, she was then started on an intense course of chemotherapy which finished on the same day as her husband Steve’s birthday.
Mrs Dandy, from Rixton near Warrington, Cheshire, recently got the all-clear following a scan and mammogram.
Cancer survivor Hayley Browning shared alternative self-examination tips that led to Mrs Dandy being diagnosed
But she admits she often wonders what might have been had she not read Hayley’s message. She said: ‘I really think it was fate.
‘I am and will be eternally grateful to Hayley Browning for sharing her story on Facebook that fateful day.
‘In reality, if it wasn’t for Hayley, I wouldn’t have checked myself in the way she suggested.
‘I contacted Hayley straight away to thank her for sharing her story and to let her know that her post had potentially saved my life.
Mrs Dandy, from Rixton near Warrington, Cheshire, after being given the all-clear
She was heartbroken when a doctor confirmed her biggest fear, she had contracted an aggressive form of breast cancer despite displaying no symptoms
‘It’s a sobering thought to think that but for that one post, things could have ended with a very different outcome for me.
‘This is why I feel it’s so important to get Hayley’s £laidbacklumps message out there and encourage people to check themselves regularly and potentially save lives – it worked for me.’
She added: ‘I never felt unwell at all and I was at the top of my game and had just turned 50.
‘I was a non-smoker, didn’t drink alcohol and was extremely active. I didn’t feel sore or ill at the time, which is the odd thing.
Hayley, from Chelmsford, Essex, (pictured after treatment) says she is ‘overwhelmed with emotion’ after being contacted by Jayne to say her post helped save her life
‘The surgeon at first thought it was a cist and said he would have it drained that same day.
‘He sent me next door to have a mammogram and then I went in for an ultrasound. Within a week of that I was called back and told at that point it was grade three breast cancer.’
Hayley, from Chelmsford, Essex, who now works for Breast Cancer Care, had the BRCA2 gene mutation that caused her cancer.
The cancer survivor says she is ‘overwhelmed with emotion’ after being contacted by Jayne to say her post helped save her life.
Mrs Dandy felt a cancerous lump while lying down at home that would disappear when she stood up
She said: ‘It is absolutely incredible – I feel overwhelmed with emotion really, it’s hard to find the words to express how thrilled I am for Jayne.
‘When I wrote the post, I never imagined the reach it would have and it’s really thanks to every single person who shared it and helped get the message out there.
‘Not only is it fantastic that 30 people contacted me to let me know they had found their lump because of my post and have since had the treatment for breast cancer.
‘But it’s brilliant that so many millions of people are now more aware of the importance of checking their breasts because of my post, especially checking lying down.’
Hayley says she has been contacted by 30 people who said they had found their lump because of my post, which was shared more than 215,000 times.
She is now climbing Mount Snowdon to raise money for Breast Cancer Care, to donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/laidbacklumps