Maggie's Swansea | Kim and Leanne's story

Leanne Osborne and Kim Whitlock were childhood schoolfriends who had drifted apart over time, but they were reunited and are now closer than ever after turning to cancer charity Maggie’s for support when they received the devastating news of being diagnosed with breast cancer within a couple of months of each other.

Leanne and Kim, both 37, discovered they had cancer in the autumn of 2022. Kim was diagnosed after finding a lump in her left breast in September, shortly after Leanne. In their times of need, they turned to Maggie’s Swansea centre, situated within the grounds of Singleton Hospital.

Maggie’s provide a wide range of free services to anyone impacted by cancer, ranging from financial assistance, to mental health and wellbeing programmes, relaxation techniques and post-treatment workshops, and the pair were quick to tap in to their expertise and empathy.

And, having initially reconnected following Leanne’s diagnosis, they soon found themselves spending more and more time together through Maggie’s.

“We were in primary school and secondary school together, so we’ve known each other since we were three years old,” says Leanne.

“I think this experience has definitely reconnected us, especially coming to Maggie’s, because we see each other every week and we look forward to being there and spending the time together.

“I was diagnosed first, and we’d been in touch and speaking regularly when Kim found her lump.

“We kept in touch, and then seeing each other through Maggie’s has just strengthened that bond. We can’t do without each other now and I do get emotional thinking about it.”

Leanne initially sought financial advice, while Kim and her husband chose to visit as they wanted someone to talk to in the immediate aftermath of finding out she had cancer.

They cannot speak highly enough of the care and support they received, and how their shared experiences as cancer patients and Maggie’s service users brought them close together once again.

“I was told it was cancer on the Thursday, and then we weren’t told anything else,” says Kim.

“So, my husband and I came to Maggie’s on the Monday to speak to someone, because we were feeling pretty desperate.

“We spoke to Laura (one of Maggie’s volunteers) and we left feeling better for it. Obviously she couldn’t tell us everything – but it was nice to just be able to speak about my experience.”

Leanne adds: “I came here for benefits advice with Mike, and I found that very helpful. And I did pop in for a chat, although I didn’t do any courses initially.

“But I loved coming to Maggie’s, and I have found it really good for my mental health.

“You do worry. As soon as you find out you’ve got cancer, you start thinking about what is going to happen with the house and the children, so it was really beneficial to go there.

“Their ‘where now?’ project has been really helpful since I was given the all-clear.

“A psychologist came in and spoke to us, and that was very helpful, and we’ve had the chance to ask questions to an oncologist.

“Obviously it’s outside the clinical setting so you feel like you can ask questions, because in the clinical setting, sometimes it can feel rushed whereas this is more comfortable. We do feel more positive about the next step.

“I’d 100 per cent recommend Maggie’s, everyone is so lovely and you feel very welcome when you walk through the door. Everyone has a smiley face.”

“And a cup of tea!” Liz interjects. 

“It’s such a lovely space here, you feel warm and inviting.  They help you with so many other things as well, I love it there.”

While Kim and Leanne have been told they are clear of cancer, they are open and honest when it comes to talking about the impact of their respective diagnoses and the experiences they have been through.

The emotions of anxiety and fear will be familiar to anyone who has been touched by cancer, making it all the more important for people to open up and share their stories.

“In September 2022, I started an adult nursing degree at Swansea University and then two weeks later, I found a lump in my left breast,” says Kim.

“It was quite big and I found that on the Friday evening, I went to the GP on Monday morning and was in the breast clinic in Singleton by Thursday.

“I was told that day – after a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy – that it was cancer.

“I had an eight centimetre tumour and I had two lymph nodes removed. I had surgery, so my left breast was removed and had an implant. Six weeks after that I started four months of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy.

“Because the cancer is fed by my hormones, medication was needed to switch off oestrogen production so I’ll be on medication for the next 10 years.

“It basically means I’ve been put into menopause so I can’t have anymore children, but I have menopause symptoms daily; the aches and pains and hot flushes and I’m 37.

“It was six days between finding the lump and diagnosis. I was really lucky.”
 

“You just feel like everything is coming to an end, it’s so worrying,” adds Leanne.

“Being a mother – as both of us are – you just think of your children, that was my first thing.

“You go to the worst-case scenario. I was told that, because of the size of the tumour, there was a potential it had spread to other parts of the body. So, I had a CT scan a week later.

“I had to wait for the biopsy results from the initial tests, even though I’d already been told it was cancer, I had to wait to find out if it was stage four or not.

“Twelve days later, I was told that it hadn’t spread and it could be treated. At the time, the consultant couldn’t understand why my husband and I were so happy, but it was because we spent 12 days wondering if I was going to be given treatment, I didn’t know if it had spread or what was going to happen.

“We were happy when I was told it will be removed and you can have these treatments.

“I actually left on that day feeling relieved. But between being told it was cancer and that day … that was 12 days of hell on earth.

“In the end I had the same treatments, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery to begin as Kim.

“We’re on medication for two years, which is a preventative for recurrence.”

With their stories being relatively similar, Leanne and Kim are also united in their message to women to make sure they check themselves.

There are no routine mammograms on the NHS for women under the age of 50 but, with more and more women being diagnosed at younger ages, they feel it is important to raise awareness.

“It’s a message for younger people really, a lot of young people thing it won’t happen to them. That’s what we thought,” says Leanne.

“There are no routine checks on the NHS until you’re 50 but more and more women in their 30s and 40s and even 20s are being diagnosed, and the only way you can be diagnosed is by finding that lump yourself.”

“I actually posted on social media the other day about how important it is to check yourself regularly,” adds Kim.

“I always did that anyway, and I feel like it saved my life and if I didn’t do it, I might not be here today. And then I’d push other women to check themselves thoroughly.

“There’s loads of advice out there and information on how to do it correctly. It’s very important.”

Both women are also supporters of the ‘Tackling Cancer Together’ campaign, which has seen Swansea City and Maggie’s come together to raise funds and awareness for the charity’s services, and encourage people to share their cancer stories.

The initiative is tied in with the club’s vibrant pink third kit for the 2023-24 campaign, with the design incorporating the colours of a number of the most common cancers.

“My son was a mascot for the Swans and I was there to watch him, and they were explaining about the new Maggie’s kit that were out and I felt really emotional. It’s really good. It’s fantastic,” says Kim.

“It’s the first shirt we’ve bought. But as soon as we saw it, we were saying ‘we have to have that’. My son’s got it, too. It’s a great campaign,” adds Leanne.