Mother and daughter providing gifts to Royal Preston Hospital cancer patients

Janet Smith and Laura Mellor Pic: Rosemere Cancer Foundation

A mother and daughter duo are helping to make life for cancer patients better at Royal Preston Hospital.

Laura Mellor, 34, is living with cancer herself and has teamed up with mum Janet Smith, a staff nurse, to collect toiletries, beauty products, candles, biscuits and more into hampers for those on the wards.

Her mum Janet explained: “Laura got married in October 2018. She had been losing weight but we all thought it was wedding stress. After the wedding, Laura continued to lose weight. She felt a breast lump so went to her GP, who although couldn’t feel a lump, thankfully still referred her to the breast unit at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital on a two week wait.

“Again, an examination there didn’t detect a lump but a mammogram did. It turned out that Laura had breast cancer at the age of 28 and it was hormone related, which is why the lump was more detectable at certain times of the month than others.”

Laura underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by a total mastectomy and lymph node clearance followed by radiotherapy. Then during a delayed breast reconstruction in December 2020, doctors discovered there was residual cancer cells detected within her chest wall and subsequent investigations found that the cancer had spread to Laura’s bones. Laura’s cancer was classed as Stage 4 – incurable.

Laura is currently on chemotherapy treatment in attempts to control the disease, which has since sadly spread to her liver and lungs. She will remain on treatment in some form for the rest of her time.

Despite numerous hospital admissions for disease related problems and treatment side-effects, Laura is still trying her hardest to remain in work and to raise awareness of cancer, especially breast cancer among younger women.

She said: “Make sure you all check your bits! Be vigilant as the earlier cancer is detected, the much better the chance of a positive outcome.”