A mum-of-one is urging people to check their breasts after she discovered a lump while pregnant.

Kim Rackley had a C-section at around 36 weeks so she was able to start having treatment as soon as possible.

Warning: Images of post-surgery

She discovered the lump in the upper part of her boob but put it down to changes in hormones or thought it might be the start of milk development. But three months later it was still there.

The Gillingham resident went to a nurse and was immediately referred to the breast care clinic at Medway Maritime Hospital where a few weeks later medics performed an ultrasound on the lump.

"They did not tell me anything that day," said the 30-year-old. "But when things happen that quickly and when you have three nurses piling into the room I kind of knew that was not good.

"It was about two weeks later I went back for my results and the first person I saw when they opened the door into the room with the consultant was a Macmillan nurse.

"I thought 'that kind of answers most of my questions'."

On December 8, Kim was told she had a 3cm by 2cm tumour and stage two breast cancer – meaning the disease was in the breast or nearby lymph nodes.

So she could start treatment, the former mental health support nurse had a C-section five days later and gave birth to her son Leo Naylor at around 36 weeks.

Kim said: "It really tainted the birth. Leo was my fourth pregnancy in two years and it ruined what should have been the happiest time and it was not because I was scared.

"Leo is the main thing that gets me through. Whenever I am at my lowest he is just there with his cheeky little smile and it just picks me back up again."

The now seven-month-old had to spend 11 days in the Oliver Fisher Baby Care Unit in Medway hospital as he struggled to breathe and was put on steroids and a ventilator.

Mum Kim and dad Kris Naylor, 33, were able to take him home on Christmas Eve which Kim said was "the best Christmas present ever".

At the end of January, Kim had her first surgery to remove her cancerous tissue. Surgeons ended up removing a 5cm tumour, two under 1cm and some of her lymph nodes.

She had tests but discovered not all of the disease had gone and it was now stage three. In March, she underwent another operation to remove a 4cm tumour. And yet again, it was not successful.

Finally, in June she had a mastectomy – surgery to remove a breast – where 14cm of cancerous tissue was removed. In total, she had 21.3cm removed.

She said: "It was terrifying to be honest. I had a CT scan before the surgery and they did not pick up it was bigger than they initially thought.

"After my mastectomy I had another scan and I was so prepared for them to tell me it had spread because every time I went back it was more bad news. I was so prepared for them to tell me it was stage 4.

"When they finally decided I was done with surgery the wait for chemo started. It is so bizarre to say but I was oddly excited to start chemo because it meant I was onto the next step.

"I had a new target and I knew more what to expect with this. I cannot come out of chemotherapy and they tell me they did not get it all.

"It is horrible, scary and exhausting but it means that it is going. That just makes it bearable."

The Saxton Street resident started chemotherapy last Monday and will be having treatments every fortnight – although this has been delayed as she has contracted Covid.

She should finish chemotherapy by the end of November and will then have radiotherapy for three weeks.

"I still have a long way to go," explained Kim. "I still have hair at the moment but some parts have started to fall out. I try and face everything with a bit of humour.

"I am just trying to keep my spirits up. I need to remind myself the cancer is technically gone at the moment and that is a really big thing to be able to tell myself.

"Everything I am doing now is to stop it coming back and that is getting me through."

Due to her treatment Kim will not be going back to work so to help her family, friend Chloe Odell set up a fundraising page to help support them. If you would like to donate, click here.

After her diagnosis, she is urging everyone to check their bodies regularly, she added: "Do not disregard anything.

"If something changes even if your doctor brushes you off and tells you it is nothing, get it checked because it can happen to anyone at any time and it does not discriminate.

"I still kick myself that I did not get it checked it out when I first found it because it might have been smaller and I might have only needed one surgery and be done with it.

"The most important thing for me is that other people hear my story and check themselves and go to the doctor. Especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding because that comes with a lot of breast changes.

"A lot of pregnant people – and that is what I had the issue with – do not know what to expect in regards to changes when you are pregnant or towards the end of your pregnancy.

"That is what made me believe it was just something to do with pregnancy because no one tells you what you should and should not expect but you should not have hard lumps in your boobs."