This student has shared the extraordinary story of how she was diagnosed with breast cancer at just 15 years old, and why she now proudly embraces life with a reconstructed breast, using her journey to raise awareness and inspire others.
Now 20 and studying at university, Georgie Hartland first noticed something was wrong while on holiday with her best friend in 2019 so went to the doctors, where her life changed forever.
From Maidenhead, UK, she told how her journey through treatment and surgeries has been difficult but now she is embracing her new lease of life with a fake breast.
She said: “I was on holiday with my best friend, but I found a lump, I thought it was normal. It was not.
“I went to the doctors, had a biopsy, I even had a surgery. Then it wasn’t fine. They said it was malignant.”
At the time, the teenager was treated in a small clinic, and the diagnosis, she says, was deeply confusing, taking her around a year to really understand what she was going through.
Her treatment involved two surgeries, the first to remove the tumour, the second a mastectomy with reconstruction on one side, which she told was awkward sometimes at the surgery with many people giving her looks as she was so young.
Now, five years on, she’s preparing to undergo surgery on her second breast for preventive measures.
The surgery is still pending, a four-month wait is in place, but she remains optimistic.
After feeling unsure about having her breast remodelled, she has finally come to peace with it and accepted the changes in her life.
As she waits for her next surgery, she remains characteristically upbeat, even fitting in some uni work between appointments and visiting museums.
She said: “All they said was ‘malignant’ and not ‘cancer’. It was scary, but at first, I didn’t really process it. I think it took a year to fully realise what had happened.
“It sounds scary, but I think adrenaline got me through.
“I had my mastectomy when I was 15. For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s basically like you get the tissue in your breast area removed – and I got it replaced, but with healthy tissue.”
She added: “I definitely have a more positive outlook on life, I’ve realised I don’t know what could come next.
“Life can be short for some and long for others, so I really do my best to live in the present.
“At first, I tried to keep it secret, but now I’m open and confident about it. It shows what I’ve been through.
“Check your breasts every month, no matter your age or gender – it could save your life. This is really important to me.”