Copnor mum diagnosed with cancer aged 27 in lockdown 'proud' to support charity that helped rebuild her life

Melissa Fisher was diagnosed with breast cancer aged 27 during the Covid-19 lockdown. Now 29, she has gone through a tumultuous journey but is now back on her feet and raising money for Breast Cancer Now.

Melissa, of Copnor, said going through the initial diagnosis and treatment from the end of 2020 and to 2021 was ‘horrendous’. She told The News: ‘I was diagnosed on my own as I wasn’t allowed with anyone at the time.

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‘I had to go to all the appointments by myself. I was categorised as being clinically and extremely vulnerable and had to shield and stop working – spending nearly a year indoors. The only time I ventured out was to go to the hospital.’

Five weeks before her diagnosis, Melissa was made redundant from her cabin crew role at British Airways which she had held since she was 18. The mum of one added that those experiences had a devastating impact on her mental health – being diagnosed with PTSD and health anxiety.

Melissa added she was ‘lucky’ to had been living with her husband Ashley, mum Fleur De La Mare and daughter Belle, though they still had to be ‘cautious’ whenever they got back from work and ‘constantly’ washing their hands.

She said she had ‘hiccups’ during her treatment – suffering an anaphylactic shock in November 2020 after reacting badly to a drug during routine surgery. Melissa woke up on a ventilator in an intensive care unit.

Throughout the process, she had to look after Belle and ‘shield her’ from her condition. Melissa went through chemotherapy from December 30, 2020, to April 2021 – having a blood clot and catching sepsis during the process but recovering well. Radiotherapy treatment followed and Melissa was declared cancer-free and in remission in August.

Despite Melissa beating cancer, she was left broken by the process. ‘Everyone thought I was now ok after finishing treatment, but I found ending treatment the hardest part of it all,’ she said.

‘You’re left with the mental health struggles, the anxiety and the fear of it recurring. You’re left so fatigued and exhausted after a year of treatment.’

Melissa said it took five months of CBT therapy to recover and she started to become more positive in early 2022. Her spirits were lifted after getting married in May and eventually returning to work full-time with British Airways.

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Melissa said she owed a lot to Breast Cancer Now, using their nurse hotline and going to their ‘moving on from cancer’ workshops. She handed out charity pin badges as wedding favours and organised an Easter Fun Day family event at The Innlodge Hotel in Burrfields Road on Friday.

Just under £700 has been raised so far, with Melissa hoping for £1,000. She’s encouraging people to check for symptoms, find trusted places for advice and reach out if they’re struggling.

‘I was told so many times you’re too young to get cancer and it was nothing,’ Melissa said. ‘Be your own advocate, and if you think something is wrong, speak up.

‘I want people to realise there is light at the end of the tunnel, they can see that from me.’