Express & Star

Dealing with the 'Big C' Emma's way

Last year we were lucky enough to interview Emma Sandau, a bright young woman living in Eccleshall, Staffordshire, who was working hard on growing her footwear customisation business – Creations by Miss Molly.

Published
Determined and brave from the start of the battle

Since then Emma, now 30, has become the proud mother of a beautiful baby son, Thorben. However, sadly in January she was diagnosed with stage one cervical cancer.

Emma’s diagnosis came as the result of a routine cervical screening – previously known as a smear test – followed up with a biopsy.

Thankfully the cancer was treatable, though Emma’s chosen course of surgery has carried with it a heavy weight, in that she will no longer be able to have children naturally.

Determined and brave, from the moment she was told about the battle ahead of her Emma has devoted her energy into raising as much awareness as she can around this often forgotten disease. New cases of cervical cancer in the UK in fact total around 3,200 a year, yet 99.8 percent of these are preventable if abnormal cell changes are found early enough.

As with many people, the news that she had cancer left Emma feeling numb, and only when the prospect of her further motherhood was put in jeopardy did the weight of what was happening set in. “I was a bit stunned to start with until the doctors spoke about hysterectomy and big choices to make about future children,” she said. “That’s when it hit me – that’s when I started to get upset. It sank in that it was actually serious. There was no denying it – it was cancer, it was there. It was just a question of how much was there.”

Following an MRI and a CT scan it was established that Emma’s cancer hadn’t spread, and could in theory be eradicated through surgery alone. Yet the price of this would be at least a partial hysterectomy.

Emma’s husband Ove, 34, remembers the moment of choice that lay ahead of both of them. “We had to decide there and then what to do,” he said. “The doctor told us that it hadn’t spread and told us a few of the options, and pretty much all of them meant no more babies. We had to make the decision quickly but luckily we’d spoken about it before. It was still very hard having to decide.”

Despite that, their choice was ultimately simple, and motivated by the only thing that really mattered to them. “Thorben,” said Emma. “If it wasn’t for him I don’t think I would’ve had it done because the only thing I’ve ever wanted is to be a mum. But now it was most important for me to be here for him and it didn’t matter about anything else.”

Emma made the decision to undergo a radical hysterectomy – a procedure that would involve the removal of the whole of her uterus, but leave her ovaries intact.

From the moment she was diagnosed Emma felt compelled to speak out about her cancer. This was partly as a way to deal with the journey ahead of her, yet she was also motivated to do all that she could to help other women avoid the experience she had faced. “Being open and honest with everyone really helped me because I could cry about it if I needed to – which I did at some points – but then we could just carry on. I didn’t have to hide anything and there was so much support around me.

“The very first night after my diagnosis I just had the urge to write everything down. I wrote a blog, writing exactly what I was feeling, and it helped so much. Every new feeling I had, I wrote about it.”

Emma’s blog quickly began to get attention, resonating with other women and inspiring them to get tested. “My friends and family shared the blog on social media, then their friends and family did the same, and they’ve all gone and booked in for screenings.

“I’ve had so many messages from girls and women saying ‘I’ve booked in’. When I was at the doctor’s last week the receptionist said ‘have you been telling people about it? I wondered if there was a coincidence between you and the number of cervical screenings I’ve been booking in!’

“People have been amazed how open I’ve been about it and it’s kicked them into gear to get themselves screened.”

Not content with the already wonderful impact of her blog, Emma sought other ways to raise awareness, as well as money for the charities working to combat cervical cancer.

“I spoke to some good friends of mine in a band and they agreed to play at an awareness party we held at our local pub. We raised £200 for charity on the night, and from the post I put on social media – which had a donation button – we got to about £600.

“I’d like to keep doing more events to help raise awareness not just for cervical cancer, but for all cancers. If I’ve helped save one person then its worth me going through it. Hopefully I’ll be able to help save lots.”

Emma with her family

Happily, Emma was only days ago given the all clear, with it having been confirmed following her surgery that she is now completely cancer free.

“I’m relieved – very, very relieved,” said Ove. “I Love her more than anything, and I want her to be around for the rest of my life.

“I’m so proud of how strong she’s been and how she’s taken it because it’s not easy. There has been a lot of crying, from me as well.

“I knew it would be the hardest thing we’ve ever gone through, but I never thought we weren’t going to beat it. I know how strong Emma is and I know that anything that comes our way we can solve. I believe that good things happen to good people, and Emma is the best person I know.”

Though changed forever by their experience, the young Sandau family are now looking firmly toward the future, namely their wonderful little boy.

On what she hopes life will hold for her precious son, Emma’s answer is simple. “Everything. I hope that he has everything he ever wants in life and that he’s happy.

“I want to give him everything. It was the scariest thing ever waiting for the results to come back and I’ve never had so many dark and horrible thoughts about not being here anymore – you can’t help think at times that the worst is going to happen.

“But when I’m fully recovered from my op it’s all going to be over. I’ll be back to work doing my shoes, and planning his first birthday party. And we’re all going to be here for it.”

Like many women, Emma showed no symptoms of cervical cancer that she herself could recognise. With this, her message is unsurprisingly straightforward. “Don’t be scared to go and get a screening done, and certainly don’t be embarrassed. It’s important to go and get checked as they may be able to stop anything before it’s too late.”

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme invites all women from the age of 25 to 64 to attend cervical screening. Women aged 25 to 49 are offered screening every three years and those aged 50 to 64 are offered screening every five years.

“If you have the test and anything does come back as abnormal or worse, you’ve got to find your own way of dealing with it,” added Emma. “That might be to not tell anyone or it might be to tell everyone. But talking to people helped me, and it was amazing to see how much love and support I had around me.

“If you want to stay in and eat pizza and takeaways – do it. If you want to throw a party – do it. Do whatever you can to get through it, because you can beat it.”

Driven and passionate, we don’t expect Emma will rest for longer than is needed after her surgery before she continues her work for cancer awareness.

For now, we wish a heartfelt and speedy recovery to a brave young woman who has turned one of the scariest experiences a person could face into nothing less than her finest hour, and we extend our very best wishes to a father and mother who deserve a lifetime of adventure and happiness with their treasured son.

l To read Emma’s blog, visit emmamollysandau.simplesite.com and for more information on cervical screening, including how to book, visit www.nhs.uk