Gosport cancer survivor takes on Great South Run

Then 22, she found a lump on her throat and was told the devastating news that it was thyroid cancer.

She had surgery to remove her thyroid but her parathyroid gland was damaged during the procedure, causing her pain even now.

As part of her treatment Angela, from Gosport, was given radiotherapy and after a difficult few months was given the all-clear.

Following her diagnosis she took up running and now she is training to take part in the Great South Run.

She said: ‘I noticed a lump on my neck and didn’t really think anything of it.

‘I went to the doctors about something else and happened to mention the lump.

‘They did a blood test to check my thyroid function and referred me to the head and neck department at Queen Alexandra Hospital.

‘After they took a biopsy I thought it would be a cyst or something similar so I was shocked when I met a surgeon who told me it was cancer and I needed surgery.

‘I had just finished university, I was carefree. Then in that moment I found myself sat there crying, feeling like I was thrown into a brick wall.’

Angela will be raising money for the Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust when she takes on the 10-mile run, sponsored by Simplyhealth, in Portsmouth in October.

She added: ‘Being five years on, I wanted to do something that was a huge challenge.

‘I have ran smaller events since my diagnosis but I wanted to do something more.

‘After my diagnosis I started running because I never thought I’d be able to do it. I wanted to push myself.

‘There is a lot on awareness about cancer but I don’t want people to become blinded to it as spotting symptoms early can save someone’s life.’

To donate to Angela visit justgiving.com/fundraising/angela-mills8

The Great South Run is October 1. Visit greatrun.org/south