A DERBY lecturer says her life was saved by a friend who nominated her to take a selfie without make-up – which led to her being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Jackie Nicholas, 35, posed for a no-make-up selfie on Facebook as part of a trend aimed at raising money to fight cancer.
After posting the photo, a curious Jackie, of Osmaston, visited a link to a cancer website which advises women how to check their breasts.
To her horror, she found a lump, which was later confirmed as cancer.
Derby College lecturer Jackie has had treatment and is now in remission. She said: "If it was not for the no-make-up selfie then I might not be here now. It has definitely saved my life. I did think, am I going to die?
"Whoever came up with the idea of the no-make-up selfie is an absolute genius and a life-saver."
She was nominated by her Facebook friend, Nicola Aldred. Jackie said: I've given her a huge thank-you for what she has done – it's amazing.
"I couldn't believe it when I found a lump. I really didn't know what to do.
"I never really thought it would happen to me at my age. It was a totally surreal situation."
She vividly remembers discovering the lump. She said: "I'd read the online story and had looked at the signs and symptoms and it told you how to check.
"When I found it I thought I was imagining it. It is much more common in people who are 45 and above."
But then Jackie was too frightened to do anything about it and went ahead with a planned holiday to Paris with husband Tom, a teacher.
She told him about the lump on holiday and they went to a clinic as soon as they could on their return.
Jackie said: "I went to the doctor who referred me to the breast unit. You should have seen the number of women in there who were waiting.
"The tests showed there was no doubt I had a tumour. I was told by a consultant that I had cancer.
"Nothing can ever prepare you for hearing those words.
"Straight away I wanted to know what were the chances of me dying? My life was completely out of control."
Jackie is grateful that the no-make-up selfie prompted her to check herself. She said: "It is the power of social media which has saved my life.
"I have done well to catch this and find it early."
After the diagnosis in May, she had to have a breast removed and is facing months of chemotherapy. She said: "There is a chance it could return in the future and I will have to be tested for the next five years to make sure."
She now wants to raise awareness that the disease can hit younger women.
She said: "I have so much faith in the NHS and we are so lucky to have it.
"The staff and everybody at Royal Derby Hospital were absolutely fantastic."
Tom, 31, said: " It's all come about through social media and it is something we can be thankful for."
Dr Nick Peel, science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, the #nomakeupselfie trend raised £8 million in just one week, which resulted in us being able to fund ten clinical trials.
"When it comes to spotting breast cancer early, it's important to get to know what's normal for you, so you're more likely to notice any unusual or persistent changes."
The no-make-up selfie craze was started by teenage mum Fiona Cunningham, of Stoke-on-Trent, who was inspired after seeing actress Kim Novak attend the Oscars without any make-up.
