AMUM who planned her own funeral survived cancer to have a miracle baby that she never believed in her wildest dreams would be possible.

Nicola Ham developed stomach pains and was rushed to Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester three times shortly after she got married in 2007.

Dismissed as “lady problems”, her GP at Tenbury Wells Medical Centre, who she credits with saving her life, realised something far more serious was wrong and asked for more tests to be done.

Mrs Ham had an ultrasound scan at Worcester where medics discovered a mass.

She then had a biopsy and was referred to an oncologist who told her she had non-Hodgkin lymphoma and about six weeks to live.

The 30-year-old of Tenbury Wells said: “Instantly it’s like you have to fight.

“Initially I screamed ‘Oh my God, I have cancer!’ “Everyone who has had it or knows somebody who has says it’s like somebody saying to you your life’s over.

“This is why I’m pushing for greater awareness.

“I want someone who is still in their last days or weeks to feel there’s a chance.”

Mrs Ham began six intensive sessions of chemotherapy at the Royal between October 2007 and January 2008 bringing on sideeffects including hair loss and sickness.

She also created memory boxes for her two children – Emily, now aged 10, George, five – to remember her containing her thoughts, advice and photographs.

“I was told I hadn’t got long to live, let’s just get on with the treatment,” she said.

“I was getting palliative care, end of life care.

“When I was diagnosed I had my own Macmillan nurse.

“You organise your last days.

“I planned where I was going to die.

“I thought this was all quite normal.”

But then, at the end of January 2008, she was given the news she never expected to hear – the allclear.

However, her experience of cancer has given her arthritis and neuropathy and one of her main concerns was that she was told, because of the chemotherapy, that she would be unlikely to conceive another child.

But having defied expectations by not only surviving herself six months ago she brought miracle baby Minnie into the world.

Mrs Ham said: “Ten years ago if you were diagnosed with cancer it was a life sentence.

“To be diagnosed with lymphoma now is not like that.

“People can have so much hope now.

“Cancer is no longer the death sentence it was.

“I want to give hope to people that there is life after cancer.”

HELP AND SUPPORT

Web: For more information visit lymphomas.org.uk. For more information about Lymphatic Cancer Awareness Week, visit lymphomas25.orguk/lymphatic-cancerawareness- week-2011.

Telephone: Lymphoma Association freephone helpline number is 0808 808 5555 E-mail: information@ lymphomas.org.uk.

Donate: To donate money to the Lymphatic Cancer Awareness week text ‘LCAW11’ and the amount you wish to donate to 70070.

FACTS ABOUT LYMPHONA

􀁥 Lymphatic Cancer Awareness Week runs between Monday, September 12, and Sunday, September 18.

􀁥 Lymphoma is the UK’s fifth most common cancer.

􀁥 Every year, more than 13,400 new cases of lymphoma are diagnosed in the UK alone, and about 75,000 people in the UK are currently living with the disease.

􀁥 In the UK, about 1,730 cases of Hodgkin lymphoma and more than 11,800 cases of non- Hodgkin lymphoma are diagnosed each year (13,400 new cases a year).

􀁥 Lymphomas are cancers of the lymphatic system which forms part of the body’s immune system. There are many different types of lymphoma, although they are broadly categorised as Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

􀁥 Symptoms: the most common symptom of lymphoma is a painless lump or swelling, often in the neck, armpit or groin. Other common symptoms include excessive sweating, especially at night, unexplained loss of weight, unusual tiredness, a cough or breathlessness and itching. If you experience any of these symptoms, visit your GP.

􀁥 The Lymphoma Association offers services that include a freephone helpline, comprehensive free literature, a buddy scheme with telephone links to others with similar experiences, local support groups, regional patient conferences and a fully interactive website featuring a messageboard and chatroom. All of the services are completely free.

􀁥 This year is the Lymphoma Association’s 25th anniversary.