In a series of heartwarming tales this Saturday, EDP REPORTERS speak to four families who have fought back against the odds

Eastern Daily Press: Becki Carey who was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma pictured with her daughter Emelia.Picture: ANTONY KELLYBecki Carey who was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma pictured with her daughter Emelia.Picture: ANTONY KELLY (Image: Archant Norfolk 2015)

In April last year when the youngster was just five months old, Becki Carey, from Hethersett, was dealt the devastating blow aged just 24 – she had Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

The next five months were filled with gruelling chemotherapy, the loss of her beloved shoulder-length hair and trying to be a mother.

Yet it was having her baby girl, now 15 months, at her side throughout that kept Mrs Carey going.

'She's my saviour,' she said. 'If I hadn't had her I would have collapsed.

'If you are by yourself at home after your treatment you feel lonely and upset, but I had to play with her and be lively, without her that wouldn't have been possible.'

The Aviva worker and her husband Grant Carey, 53, had been trying for a baby for some time. So when their bundle of joy arrived, they believed it was a miracle. But after the birth, Mrs Carey was struggling to get up and down the stairs and felt an unusual lump in her neck. She visited the doctors and ended up in A+E.

'It was a devastating time,' she said. 'As a new mum you worry about your baby. If something happened to me, it would be devastating, my main thought was I can't leave Emelia without a mum.'

So, throughout her treatment, Mrs Carey was determined to keep going for the baby, despite the suffering.

She took strength from the Big C's cancer support group, a place she could share the traumas of her illness.

And in June 2014, she was given the all clear. Now seven months on, aged 25, she is looking forward.

'I am trying to get my life back a bit,' she said.

And after her experience, she wants to give a message to others: 'If you have any concerns or you don't feel right, it's never wrong to speak to a doctor – I am so grateful I did.'

Do you have a heartwarming story to tell? Email rosa.mcmahon@archant.co.uk

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