A NEW mum who was diagnosed with breast cancer just 14 weeks after her daughter was born will run a half marathon for charity.

Heather Cloughton, 35, from Braintree, will be putting on her running shoes a year after she was handed the devastating news.

She had been breastfeeding baby Emma when she found a lump on her breast.

In October last year Heather was told she had triple negative, grade three invasive ductal medullary carcinoma.

She said: “It was a Monday evening and I was doing the evening feed and I was finishing the feed and I felt a tiny pea like lump.

“It felt different than any lumps I had before.

“I knew this wasn’t a good lump, so I booked a doctor’s appointment the next day.

“It felt like I had just been given a death sentence. I was terrified I would leave my two children without a mum.”

Heather, who is still undergoing chemotherapy, will be running her first half marathon - the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London - with her friends Layla and Lesley Ann, a year on from the diag- nosis.

The trio will be raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

She said: “Cancer doesn’t mean the end. I was very lucky to have found the lump so early and to have a GP who referred me straightaway.

“My advice would be to anyone in similar situation to take advantage of the support offered and ask for help.”

The half marathon takes place on October 8.

Heather added: “I decided to take part in the race because it takes place in October and that was when I was diagnosed.

“I want to be able to say October is the month I ran my first half marathon and not the month I was diagnosed with cancer.”