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Cancer survivor Fiona will step out for charity

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date29 April 2022
Publication titleDumfries & Galloway Standard
Fiona Collins will take on the 26-mile London Moonwalk nearly 10 years after her original diagnosis as her way of "celebrating life"

Aged just 34 at the time, Fiona was preparing to move from Glasgow to Dumfries for husband Paddy to take up his role as a surgeon at DGRI when she found a lump.

The diagnosis came as a shock to Fiona, whose sons Ewan and Innes were only four and 18-months-old at the time.

Following a full mastectomy and reconstruction at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, she then began a course of chemotherapy at Dumfries Infirmary, where she received excellent care and support from the team of "superstars" at the chemotherapy clinic.

Fiona, 44, said: "After my treatment, life resumed as normal and I put all my energy into being a mum."

She also returned to teaching, taking up a post at Troqueer Primary.

Fiona said: "The energy and enthusiasm of the classroom was such a tonic and motivated me to keep going. The love and support of family, friends and colleagues was a huge part of my recovery and I am eternally grateful to all of them for this.

"I slowly moved forward, juggling family and school life and struggled with fatigue at times but started walking regularly to build my fitness."

In 2013, she took part in the Edinburgh Moonwalk, collecting more than £2,000 for Walk the Walk and she is again raising cash for the charity.

She started to think the worst was behind her and at a party to mark her 40th birthday, made an emotional speech about how far she'd come.

But a second shock was in store when she discovered another lump just months later.

An ultrasound and biopsy showed the lump was cancerous.

Fiona said: "It was a new primary breast cancer but thankfully had not spread elsewhere. Having to tell my friends and family it was back was one of the hardest things I've ever had...

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