From joy of a new baby to shock news of life-threatening cancer

it should have been the happiest time in Siobhan Courtney’s life.

She had given birth to her first baby, a girl, just six weeks earlier.

But her world fell apart when a lump on her leg was diagnosed as bone cancer.

“I’d spotted this strange lump on my leg when I was about five months pregnant. I went to the doctor and they said ‘let’s get the baby out and then we’ll worry about it,” explains Siobhan.

“But after Olivia was born the midwife said she didn’t like the look of my leg and the next day I was having a scan at the Leeds General Infirmary.”

The scan revealed that the lump was, in fact, bone cancer.

“I was devastated. Olivia had also just been diagnosed with a dysplastic hip. It was supposed to be the happiest time in my life and there I was with a tiny baby, starting chemotherapy at St James’s Hospital in Leeds and not knowing whether I would survive.

“I had to stop breast-feeding which made me sad.”

Bone cancer is most common in 18 to 23-year-olds. Siobhan was 28.

“I was told that it is quite rare in someone of my age.”

After two bouts of chemotherapy Siobhan had the tumour on her leg removed.

“When you are an adult with bone cancer you are on a ward with all the people who have had hip replacements – the average age was 85.

“And there I was with a three-month-old baby. I was supposed to be in there for three weeks but I left after three days, I just didn’t want to be there.”

Siobhan underwent another four bouts of chemotherapy .

“You don’t go into remission with bone cancer. My experience is you are either cured or you’re not.”

Unlike the surgical ward, when Siobhan was under going chemotherapy at St James’s she was surrounded by other bone cancer sufferers, most of them children or teenagers.

“Over the last few years I have donated small amounts of money to the wards 68 and 69. Just to give them little treats, like a takeaway.

“As I was heading towards my 10 years I wanted to do something bigger. I went to see Sue Morgan a Teenage Cancer Trust nurse consultant and explained that I wanted to do something to help the units in Leeds.

“She invited me to go and have a look at the work they are doing. They are the most amazing places that you can ever imagine.

“These are 18-year-olds who two weeks before were out clubbing with their friends without a care in the world and suddenly they are hit by cancer.

“They have special people coming in to do scrapbooks with the children about their experiences. It costs £10,000 a year but it is amazing. It really gets the teenagers to open up about how they are feeling where normally they may find it difficult.

“They are heartbreaking but very therapeutic.”

Siobhan was asked to join the Teenage Cancer Trust’s Leeds fund-raising committee and decided to hold a ball to mark her 10 years of being cancer-free and to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust units in Leeds.

“It is a private event with invited guests but people have been asked to make donations and there is going to be an auction at the event on Saturday at Leeds Cricket Ground.

“It is a massive thing for me that I am still here. I never thought I would see five years let alone see my daughter starting senior school.”

Siobhan now has a second daughter, Felicity who is two years old.

“I split up from Olivia’s father and then found my first love from school on Facebook and four years ago I married him.”

BONE CANCER FACTFILE

Primary bone cancer is a rare type of cancer that accounts for just one in every 500 cases of cancer in the UK each year. There are an estimated 500 cases every year. The cause of most cases of bone cancer is unknown.

They are most common in children and young adults.

The Teenage Cancer Trust has two units in Leeds. One at St James’s Hospital for 17 to 24 year olds and a newly opened unit at the Children’s Hospital for 13 to 16 year olds.

For more information about Teenage Cancer Trust and how you can get involved, visit www.teenagecancertrust.org