A CANCER survivor is calling on the people of Somerset to join her battle.

Annette Klimczak, 48, from Kingston St Mary, Taunton, was diagnosed and treated for an aggressive form of breast cancer around two years ago.

The mum-of-two, formally an international model, is supporting the fundraising campaign Stand Up to Cancer.

Stand Up to Cancer raises money to speed up life-saving research and is supported by a host of celebrities including Davina McCall, Edith Bowman, Alan Carr, Joel Dommett and Kirsty Allsopp

Annette knows from first-hand experience how important research is in the battle against cancer. By sharing her experience, she hopes to rally the region to join the fight against the disease and help save more lives, like hers and to make sure young children are not left without a parent due to this disease

She was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive and uncommon cancer, with around 15 out of every 100 breast cancers diagnosed as triple negative.

The South African-born woman, who was working as a general manager of analytics for an IT company, was first alerted to a problem in December 2015 following a routine health appointment through her work place. During a screening, a doctor found a small lump under Annette’s armpit and advised her to follow it up, which she did immediately.

She was given a biopsy just before Christmas and the results revealed that she had an aggressive tumour.

Annette says she hopes to use her cancer journey to inspire others.

She added: “The impact on me, my family and my career was immense. I had been an international model in my youth and the physical impact of treatment caused a huge lack of confidence. The treatment was so intense that my life was on hold and I found it very difficult to engage with all aspects of life.

“The cancer journey has taught me many lessons and I would very much like to inspire others, give them hope, courage and the confidence to truly live every day.

“I’m so grateful for the treatment that saved my life and to the doctors who acted so quickly It’s thanks to research that I’m still standing. That’s why I’m giving my heartfelt support to Stand Up To Cancer.”

Having undergone chemotherapy, a lumpectomy and radiotherapy, Annette developed complications resulting in a second surgery. The physical impact of the gruelling treatment was very difficult and required constant management. Through most of her treatment she continued to work, spending nights away in London with her job.

She added: “I would like to share my story to shine a light on something that is very dark. My tumour was very aggressive with a poor prognosis and Googling triple negative breast cancer was terrifying. There was no good news or any story to give me hope. I remember talking to my husband and very young children about my death as it did not seem possible that I could survive Triple negative cancer.

“I was in such a dark place throughout 2016 but now, in 2018, people cannot believe I’ve had cancer because I’ve burst back into full life. Thanks to my husband and my children I got a lot of love, understanding and support and I am so thankful for that.

“I found inspiration from strong women like broadcaster Rachel Bland and Jacquie Beltrao from Sky News sports and broadcaster Victoria Derbyshire. They made it OK to talk about cancer in an environment which brought them into your home and made me feel better about myself. They spoke out openly about their cancer experiences and I would love to give others inspiration and make them smile.”

Alison Birkett, spokesperson at Cancer Research UK in the South West, said: “It is thanks to Annette for sharing her story that we are able to highlight the importance of research and the people who benefit from it.

“Raising vital funds for life-saving research is a great chance to get payback on cancer. Everyone knows loved ones who’ve been affected. Whether you donate, get sponsored to wear orange from head to toe or organise your own bake sale, there are lots of ways to get involved. I really hope as many people as possible will get behind this vitally important campaign because together, we can wipe the floor with cancer.

“The good news is more people are surviving than ever before, but too many lives are still cut short by this devastating disease. That’s why we need everyone in Taunton to stand up and help take cancer out.

“Every day our scientists and researchers are working tirelessly to beat the disease. But research in the lab alone won’t get us there. We need to raise some serious cancer-crushing cash to speed up breakthroughs from the petri dish into better treatments for patients.

Stand Up To Cancer has raised £38 million since it was launched in the UK in 2012. The funding is used for clinical trials and projects which accelerate the development of new cancer treatments and tests, to help patients and ultimately save more lives.

This year, Stand Up To Cancer will culminate with a night of live TV on Channel 4, on Friday, October 26.

To get involved visit standuptocancer.org.uk