Breast cancer survivor Karen Littlewood celebrates her 40th birthday

Nov 20 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

TURNING 40 is something of a milestone for many women.

But for Karen Littlewood it is a birthday she thought she may never see.

Five years ago she was dealt the devastating blow that she had breast cancer and may never see her young family grow up.

Karen, an editorial assistant at the Examiner, became the first patient in the town to combine the wonder drug Herceptin with chemotherapy.

And at the end of this month she has planned a huge celebration to mark her survival, thank family and friends for their support and raise money for the Huddersfield Oncology Unit where she was treated.

“I’ve been through a lot, but many women have suffered much worse things than this,” said Karen, who lives in Taylor Hill with partner Gordon and their two children Amy, 14, and Sam, five.

“I didn’t want this birthday to go by without thanking everyone who has helped me reach this milestone. There are so many people who I just can’t thank enough for what they have done. Without the staff at the oncology unit I couldn’t have made it and I want to give something back to them now.”

Karen’s 70s and 80s fancy dress party will be held just before her 40th on December 7.

She first discovered a small lump in her right breast in January 2005, but was told by her GP there was nothing to worry about because she was a new mum and her body was just returning to normal after pregnancy. But because Karen had lost her mum to ovarian cancer and her aunt had survived breast cancer, she had regular screening and when she attended for her appointment in September her consultant sent her immediately for a biopsy.