3 minute read
GIRL VS CANCER
HOW ONE YOUNG WOMAN’S DIAGNOSIS LED TO A FEISTY ONLINE COMMUNITY HELPING OTHERS
Lauren Mahon has never been a big fan of her boobs. As she says, they’re more of a nod to a boob, a goodwill gesture. So on the August 31, 2016, when a doctor uttered the words, ‘I’m sorry, it’s not good news, it’s cancer,’ she was sure they were having a laugh.
Surely this must be the universe’s idea of a cruel joke. Right?
Firstly, Lauren was 31 – far too young and full of fun to be dealing with this kind of crap, she thought. Secondly, she asked herself, how could she have breast cancer when she DIDN’T HAVE ANY B*STARD TITS?!?!
But Lauren did have breast cancer. An aggressive 2.8cm grade-3 cancerous lump had set up residence in her right chesticle, without consent, and sent her life as she knew it into a tailspin.
Desperate for some reassurance and carcinoma companionship, Lauren went looking for advice and encouragement from like-minded women who had faced the C-bomb. What she found were doom saying online communities and clinical materials aimed at women in a more advanced life stage. It didn’t speak to her. Not at all.
Fed up with the perception that cancer is a disease for the over fifties, Lauren decided to grab her breast cancer diagnosis by the boobs and began sharing the nuances of her cancer-beating crusade on her blog and Instagram under the hashtag #GIRLvsCANCER.
Her aim was to share the tales of her treatment in an authentic and
accessible way in an attempt to tackle the cancer taboo and create a better understanding of the challenges facing those diagnosed with cancer today.
Since then, GIRLvsCANCER has grown from an emotional outlet to an established community. In October 2017, Lauren launched it as a hub a poster girl for the disease. Not by any means. Her experience of one type of cancer will vary massively from others’, she says.
Lauren doesn’t know how it feels to lose both breasts, how she’d tell her kids that she’s poorly sick, what it must be like to style up a stoma bag or how to handle the news that the disease is
of information and encouragement, a place where young women could be signposted to the appropriate charities and support services and find insider tips on how to ‘do’ cancer. GIRLvsCANCER began as a place to talk about the cancer experience in away that was accessible, authentic and honest. Lauren wanted to provide a safe place for women, should the cancer hit the fan, to feel supported and spoken to in their language. No stuffy clinical convos.
There are over 200 different types of cancer, and Lauren is keen to emphasise she is not back with a vengeance.
But what you will find at GIRLvsCANCER, both on social media and online, is a bevy of bad-ass babes discussing various aspects of the cancer experience and answering any questions that you may have.
Whether a person is about to embark on the crazy crazy ride, have a loved one who is or simply wants to suss this whole cancer thing out, GIRLvsCANCER’s community ensures nobody affected by cancer is ever alone.
Follow Lauren on social media @IAmLaurenMahon and @GIRLvsCANCER. Her website is at girlvscancer.co.uk
MY DARLING SYLVIE & DANIELLE I WILL LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU FOR EVER YOUR DREAM LIVES ON LOVE ALWAYS EDDIE XXX
