'It was surreal': UK mum finds out she has cancer months after giving birth

Joanna Heard and her daughter.
Joanna Heard and her daughter. Photo credit: Joanna Heard / Instagram

A mother in the UK has been diagnosed with cancer, just months after giving birth.

Joanna Heard learned she had stage-4 lung cancer in August, after being sick for "the best part of 18 months".

Since then, she has shared her journey on Instagram, documenting the ups and downs of her battle. 

The 34-year-old has ALK-positive lung cancer, a genetic condition that mainly affects young or middle-aged women. Most people affected are non- or very-light smokers.

"Lung cancer is overlooked as it's still perceived an old-person, lifelong smoker disease," Heard wrote on Instagram. "I'm here to raise awareness that it affects all kinds of people, in all stages of life."

"There is no cure but there are people living with this particular type as a Chronic Lung Condition. Living!"

She found out she had the disease just six months after giving birth to her daughter. Her life expectancy with the illness is seven years.

When she heard the diagnosis, Heard said she "was knocked for six", according to Lancashire Live. 

"It was surreal. It was like 'this only happens to everyone else', I’m just your average 34-year-old mum.

"My general feeling was I’m going to be dead in a year."

She said although she was scared of what would happen, she knew she needed to be brave.

"To go through those thoughts and emotions was terrifying, but people face it every single day."

Since her diagnosis, Heard has made an effort to educate others about the illness.

"It is affecting more and more young people and not every hospital offers the testing of cells that finds these rare forms.

"Not every oncologist in the country knows about it, which is quite scary. Sharing knowledge is sharing power against this awful disease."

Sharing her battle online has helped her stay positive, as well as helping her friends and family deal with her situation, she told Lancashire Live. 

"Because I’m so positive they are a lot more positive about it. I do know I’m going to do what I can to make a positive change."

Although Heard stays mostly positive, some days are harder than others. 

In an Instagram post from Monday, she wrote "I'm a weeping mess today. Felt crap and ill and round low."

Refusing to let her negative feelings take over, however, she ended the post by saying.

"Tomorrow is a new day. I have got this."

Newshub.