Hadleigh woman fundraising for Cancer Research UK after baby scan revealed growth
Janine Edgar is running the Royal Parks half marathon next month
A woman from Hadleigh who says cancer has left an "indelible mark" on her life says she's doing whatever she can to tackle what she calls 'the evil disease'.
44-year-old Janine Edgar learnt she had bladder cancer whilst she was 20 weeks pregnant - when it was spotted during a scan.
She went on to have a healthy baby son, Jonty, who was delivered early before the growth could cause serious harm to either of them, but her early months of motherhood were marred by surgery and treatment.
She later lost her mother to an acute form of acute myeloid leukaemia - a cancer of the white blood cells - which is one of the reasons Janine, next month, will be running her fourth half marathon to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
She says if it helps one person she'll be "really grateful" because she doesn't "want them going through what I went through."
It all began when Janine was 20 weeks pregnant.
She'd gone for a scan to identify the gender of her baby, but it was then they found a tumour.
Janine took us back to that moment and said "It was really mixed emotions... but at the same time there was a sense of relief."
She explained that she had been having symptoms of bladder cancer from around 12/13 years old when she was rushed to A&E for having blood in her urine: "Having blood in your urine is not normal, but I didn't know that at at time. I'd never had a urinary tract infection."
She said she received excellent care through her treatment and because she is also epileptic, she was consultant-led, which helped her through difficult moments during her pregnancy: "The other issue they then told me was the fact, because of all the hormones through the pregnancy, the tumour could grow very quickly so they would have to keep an eye on it."
She had surgery to remove the tumour soon after her son, Jonty, was born.
Now she focuses on the silver linings that came from it: "I am really lucky. I had family around me who were knowledgeable about what I was going through and I had my son to look forward to at the end of it."
Janine Edgar and her son Jonty 4th of March 2007
Janine Edgar and her son Jonty 4th of March 2007
But unfortunately cancer made a return in the family.
Janine's Mum, Juano, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2008 and 6 months after Janine had her second child, a daughter, her mum passed away.
We asked Janine what her mum was like: "We come from a very loud family, but she was a very calming influence.
"She was just so gentle, really gentle, and happy to just go along with everything.
"She was really supportive, she was my confidant. She was just wonderful.
"I wish the kids had known her."
Janine told us her mum and dad had just moved over from Zimbabwe and were really excited to "start this new chapter in their lives" when they received the diagnosis: "I remember the day she got the news she was meant to babysit Jonty for the first time, and they then gave her the awful news, so she never had that time."
Janine and her Mum on her wedding day
Janine and her Mum on her wedding day
She said: "Not a day goes by that we don't miss her deeply. Losing her to this disease has made the cause of cancer research even more personal and urgent for me.
"Every step I take in training and every mile I run, will be in memory of mum and for everyone whose lives have been touched by cancer."
Janine will also be wearing her mum's ring whilst running the marathon so she can be with her on the day.
She also wants people to talk more about the symptoms of bladder cancer.
"Cancer Research UK is doing some of the best work on the planet around targeting the symptoms of bladder cancer, but it's also up to us to talk about it more," she said.
"I urge people to get your symptoms checked - there should not be blood in your wee!
"I don't want anyone to have to go through what we went through - it was supposed to be the best time of our lives but it was so painful to deal with...
"If there's something that doesn't add up with your health, persevere. Make sure you get a second or a third opinion."