Breast Cancer: Michelle's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Michelle Hardiman, from Norden, was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2023. She was referred to The Christie at Oldham for radiotherapy because it was closer to home than the main Christie site in Withington. The location mattered. Radiotherapy left her very fatigued, and travelling to Manchester would have made the treatment period harder. Receiving care locally helped reduce that burden while still giving her specialist cancer treatment. Michelle later went into remission and returned to part-time work as a hypnotherapist. Her recovery was also supported by services that looked beyond the medical side of cancer. At The Christie at Oldham, she became the first person to attend new drop-in art sessions funded as an enhanced support service. She described the sessions as a safe space at a time when cancer made her feel isolated and different. Meeting people who understood the experience helped her laugh, put cancer aside for a while, and feel treated as a whole person rather than only as symptoms. Michelle’s record is a breast cancer survivorship story centered on local radiotherapy, remission, fatigue, and the value of whole-person support during recovery.