Kelly Owchar was overjoyed when she gave birth to twin girls Lauren and Leah, on March 18 of this year.
Although looking after the newborns and her two-year-son Eric was tiring, the young mum from Alberta, Canada had never been happier.
However, shortly after giving birth, she began experiencing some symptoms which concerned her.
When she found a lump in her left breast two weeks after the birth, she thought it was a blocked milk duct. But then she found another close to her armpit.
The 30-year-old was also experiencing extreme fatigue and had stomach pains. When she brought her daughters to the doctor for their one-month check-up, she told the doctor of her concerns.
Kelly was sent for a breast biopsy and an abdominal scan following her doctor’s appointment.
On May 15, Kelly received terrible news: she had stage four ductal breast cancer with lymph node involvement and metastasis to the liver.
Kelly was determined to fight the illness but passed away before she could begin chemotherapy, just a week after her diagnosis.
After being diagnosed Kelly set up a blog to raise awareness about cancer detection. “If anything can come from my blog, I hope it is the knowledge that cancer affects so many people in so many ways,” the young mum wrote.
She described how she instinctively felt something was wrong, writing: “I kept thinking to myself, of course, you are tired and struggling, you just had TWO babies and Eric is not a sit in the corner type of boy. But, still, something inside me was nagging that this was different.”
Now Kelly’s heartbroken family are carrying on her message by promoting the importance of early detection in memory of the brave young woman.
Her sister Rachel Orbanski told TODAY of how devastated the family are since Kelly’s death. “It’s just the absolute worst tragedy to lose somebody who’s so vibrant and youthful and positive.
“She was the best daughter, the most wonderful sister one could have, the most wonderful wife. She was the best mom to her children. Everyone loved her.”
“Cancer does not discriminate,” a grief-stricken Rachel said while urging pregnant and breastfeeding women not to ignore bodily changes.
“If you find a little lump or bump, don’t brush it off,” she added. The family do not know when exactly Kelly developed the deadly illness.
Breast cancer occurs in approximately 1 in every 3,000 pregnancies but can be difficult to detect during pregnancy or postpartum because of hormonal changes in the breasts.
Small lumps can be harder to find and breasts can be become denser, making it harder to carry out a mammogram. Because of this, many women like Kelly are not diagnosed early enough.
If you have concerns about changes in your breasts, always seek the advice of a trained medical professional.
