A mum-of-three battled breast cancer alongside her mother after they received the devastating diagnoses within weeks of each other.
Debi Griffin, from Preston, was heartbroken when her mum Heather, 64, was told her breast cancer hell from 10 years ago had returned during a routine mammogram in April 2017.
As 34-year-old Debi listened to her "best friend" and mum being told the shattering news, Debi was hit by the realisation she too could be facing a similar fate in years to come.
But Debi had no idea in a few short weeks she too would be hearing the same news – and the mum and daughter duo would go on to fight the disease side-by-side.
Debi said: "Listening to that second diagnosis of my mum's – it hit me too this could be my fate.
"I was 32 at the time and had thoughts of sitting in the same chair in my 50s maybe – being given the same shocking news.
"I had no idea that moment was just a few weeks away."
Around 10 weeks after her Heather's diagnosis, Debi found a lump on her breast while showering.
She described how her "blood instantly ran cold and fear gripped my stomach" as she felt the golf-ball sized lump.
Debi said: "I thought to myself, 'no way can this be happening' – it was the size of a golf ball and I couldn't believe I hadn't felt it before.
"I stressed myself out for the next 48 hours, flipping between thinking I was going to die and telling myself not to panic.
"I was desperate to get mum well and she was still having radiotherapy, so I kept it to myself and didn't go to the GP.
"I thought, 'If I wait a few more weeks, I won't have to burden anyone with worry'."
But, as the days passed, Debi said the lump was "taking over her every waking thought" and eventually she went to the GP.
She said: "I prayed one day I would touch it and it wouldn't be there, but after about a week and a half of torment, I couldn't cope anymore.
"The GP initially told me not to worry because I was so young, but with mum's history I was referred to a breast clinic."
Debi underwent tests including a mammogram and biopsy – but said it was during her ultrasound she knew the doctor's face meant bad news.
She said: "The shocked expression confirmed I wasn't well – they must have been hoping for a cyst or fatty tissue.
"It was neither – in fact I had a rare grade 3 triple negative breast cancer – and it was big."
Debi said she was filled with fear and dread at the thought of breaking the news to her mum – but was amazed at her incredible reaction.
Debi added: "Mum was obviously shocked, but she instantly flung her arms around me, gave me a huge squeeze and said, 'Debi – we will win'.
"She was calm and in that moment and I thought to myself, 'Yes, I will fight this, and I will win – we'll both win."
Debi went on to have chemotherapy to shrink the tumour with plans for a lumpectomy after.
Incredibly, Debi continued with her plan to start a degree in Children and Young People Services at Preston College – just one week after starting chemotherapy.
But with chemotherapy sessions increasing from every three weeks, to weekly sessions with a double dose every third week – Debi was left feeling desperately drained at times.
Suffering from diarrhea, severe headaches , nausea and fatigue – Debi said the chemo left her wanting to die.
She added: "I remember leaving hospital after one double dose session and saying to my friend, 'I think I'm ready to die now'."
But Heather's positive energy and strength in getting them both through their cancer fight kept Debi going.
She said: "While the chemo and its effects were crippling me, mum and I found times to laugh and spent lots of quality time together.
"We were both off work so made special shopping trips.
"We'd giggle through our experiences about the small things – like when mum turned to me one day and said, 'come on, let's go out and buy you a new hat for that bald head'.
"She stopped me spending all day on the sofa in my dressing gown and helped me know what was coming in the next stage of my battle."
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