A MUM-of-three who was diagnosed with breast cancer six months after giving birth is thanking the Lilac Centre for its "perfect" care.

Clare Aspinall, 41, from Eccleston, found the lump at the end of her pregnancy but it was not scanned at this stage as the results could have been inaccurate.

Clare - who has 18-month-old Jackson, as well as Dylan, 20, and Henry, 11 - was shocked to find out last September that she had stage 3 breast cancer and needed a full mastectomy and chemotherapy.

She said: "I found the lump at the end of my pregnancy but it was very difficult to test at that stage. So, when Jackson was six months old I found out I had a very large grade three breast cancer - it was a real shock.

"I went for a mammogram and was sure I would be okay, with being young and strong. I went with my mum and we'd even planned to go shopping after the hospital.

"The breast unit is great - you get all the results on the day.

"I went for the mammogram and then got taken into the biopsy room where a whole group of people were there biopsies.

"I started to realise something was wrong and went into the next room, where I was told it was sinister and quite large."

She said: "It scared the life out of me."

Ten days later, Clare had a right side full mastectomy with some lymph nodes removed where the cancer had spread.

Clare, who works at Whiston and St Helens hospitals, said: "That's where the Lilac Centre came in. I really want to help them keep going because the care and service they provided was just amazing.

"At the centre, a nurse took me through all the possible side effects of chemo. How she explained something so scary in such a nice way, I will never know, but I wasn't scared."

Clare started her chemotherapy in November.

She said: "This was the worst point. I went in, sat down and shook and shook - they gave me medicine and a cup of tea to calm me down. They were very honest but very caring."

Before I left, they sent me to see Sean, who I thought would be another nurse - but he was a hairdresser!

"There and then, I started trying wigs on," Clare said, "I'm so grateful because losing your hair is one of the harshest side effects - losing hair more so than breast."

She added: "As the months go by, the staff get to know you personally, they knew I had a baby, we shared tips; they were amazing and I even got a massage at one point.

"At the end of the treatment, I was actually sad to leave them and still miss them."

Clare is still on endocrine treatment but is planning to go back to work in September.

She is appealing for people to attend a fundraising ball, marking the unit's 25 year anniversary, on September 16, 2017.

The ball - with a black tie or lounge suit dress code - will be held at Saints ground from 7pm until late and will include a drink on arrival, three-course dinner, disco and raffle.

A spokeswoman for St Helens and Knowsley NHS Hospitals Trust said: "The Lilac Centre relies on donations. It really is a wonderful resource, providing all kinds of holistic and complementary therapies for patients undergoing cancer treatment.

"The 25th anniversary ball will help raise more funding to hopefully keep us going for the next 25 years."

Tickets, costing £35, are available at Whiston and St Helens hospitals.