I’m Leonie Heard. I was diagnosed with HER2+ breast cancer in 2016.
I remember watching a drama once about a man who was diagnosed with cancer. He walked out of the consulting room and sat down outside to process his thoughts. I thought if that was me, I’d never be able to get back up again.
Fast forward a couple of years and it was me. I didn’t sit down, I walked out of that room and kept walking. Cancer is a very big, scary word that no one ever wants to hear. When I heard it I felt a pain I had never felt before. A fire raged through me – I realise now it was raw fear. But I didn’t need to fear as with the help of my amazing medical team, family, friends and not forgetting my inner strength and resilience, here I am today to tell you this.
Cancer has changed my life in so many ways: I see beauty where I used to see nothing, I feel emotions where I felt dull, I know how delicate life is and how precious everything in it is, I value more and fear less. In essence, it was a wake-up call I will never ignore.
Sadly, some of my dear friends didn’t have the opportunity to stay here in this world, therefore I feel it’s my duty and honour to live life to the full and never forget the impact they had on me and others in their time with us. So to cut a long story short, cancer taught me many important lessons woke me up, and I thank it for that.
