A FITNESS fanatic who never smoked, barely drunk alcohol and ate healthily was “heartbroken” after her breast cancer diagnosis.

Simone Ferman, of Buckhurst Hill, was lying in bed with her partner Russ in April when he noticed a lump in her breast.

The 29-year-old’s doctors told her she was far too young to have the disease so she put it out of her mind.

But tests delivered startling news – she had Stage 3 breast cancer. 

“I’m usually a worrier but because I had so many professionals saying it would be fine I wasn’t too panicked,” she said.

“But when the consultant said I had breast cancer I didn’t believe him. I sat there for ten minutes saying no, you’re joking. You have the wrong person.

“It was difficult to take in. I was prepared for it not to be anything sinister. I was heartbroken.”

The mum-of-two found the news especially difficult as she had always made an effort to take good care of her body.

Her work as a boot camp instructor saw her exercise regularly and as a result, she struggled to take the news in.

She added: “I didn’t drink much and I don’t smoke, I don’t sit out in the sun or go tanning. I did everything you’re supposed to do to have a healthy, normal life.

“I don’t have a genetic predisposition to this, nobody knows why.”
 She was shocked but determined not to let her diagnosis affect her children, Lily, four and Logan, six.

She added: “They don’t need to understand the word cancer. They just know mummy’s boobie isn’t well.”

She had an operation to remove the cancerous cells and assumed her journey was over.

But then, her consultant advised her to have a mastectomy to avoid it coming back.

“I broke down, I didn’t think it would come to this,” she added.
In a brave move, she opted to have both breasts removed to avoid the disease from spreading. 

She now has to wait until October for a panel of doctors to approve this.

But in the meantime, she is having chemotherapy. to ensure all the cancerous cells are gone.

She said: “It’s been tough but my kids have been amazing. They helped me choose a scarf to cover my bald head and Lily told me ‘mummy you’re so beautiful’ which made my heart melt.”

Now she is keen to raise awareness that the disease can strike anyone at any age.

She is backing the #CheckYourLemons and #CheckYourPlums campaign – the latter which urges men to check their testicles for lumps.

She said: “It upset me that Russ found the lump and not me, as I wasn’t checking my breasts. 

“Girls need to know what’s normal for them, talks should be done at schools.

“I have a message I need to get across to people now.”