Sarah wants cancer survivors to join her for Walsall Race for Life - WATCH

Now, following a full hysterectomy in February, she is getting ready to join Race for Life in Walsall to celebrate being on the road to recovery.

The 43-year-old mother of three will sound the starting horn for the 5k event at Walsall Arboretum on Sunday May 13 before joining the throng herself, alongside her 17-year-old daughter Jodie Jones and mother Glenis Wright, aged 63.

She is also encouraging other women to join the fight against cancer and sign up the fundraising event which generates vital cash for Cancer Research UK.

Sarah, from Blakenall, was rushed into hospital with severe stomach pains in October 2017 and was successfully treated with antibiotics after a scan showed an abscess on her ovary.

WATCH: Find out more on Sarah's story

It was only after keyhole surgery, routine blood tests and follow-up scans that doctors discovered an extra-thick lining to Sarah’s womb and suspected something else might be wrong. Further investigations confirmed she had endometrial cancer – cancer of the lining of the womb.

“They didn’t seem too concerned by my scan results at first, so I didn’t twig there was anything seriously wrong until I got a letter in December asking me to call the doctor and he mentioned ‘a mass’.

“I saw him early January and was told I had endometrial cancer. I was in pieces. I thought I was dying. I wasn’t expecting it at all – I just had brain fog from then on, I couldn’t take it in,” said Sarah, who works for a private dialysis company in Walsall.

Sarah underwent a full hysterectomy in February and luckily required no further treatment. “They said I was unusually young to have this type of cancer and were particularly concerned that I’d had no symptoms. It was just luck that the keyhole surgery for my abscess led to all these investigations – it really was a blessing in disguise,” said Sarah.

As Sarah has a daughter Jodie , as well as sons Daniel,24, and Ashley, 22, she has also been referred for genetic testing.

As part of her recovery Sarah has been walking a lot and rebuilding her fitness levels, so signing up for Race for Life seemed like a natural step.

She added: “Race for Life is the perfect way to show cancer I’m back to normal. I can do 5k, and with Mum and Jodie to keep me company it doesn’t matter if I take it easy and do it at my own pace.

“My grandad has also recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer so I understand all too clearly why Cancer Research UK’s work is so important. I’m so excited to take part in Race for Life and join a formidable force of women who are so motivated to help raise money and make a difference.”

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with Tesco, is a women-only series of 5k, 10k, and Pretty Muddy events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer sooner by funding crucial research.

Jane Redman, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson for Walsall, said: “We are very grateful to Sarah for her support.

“By following Sarah’s lead, and signing up to Race for Life, women in Walsall can make a real difference in the fight against cancer. Money raised will help Cancer Research UK scientists and doctors find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease, helping save more lives.

“Taking part in Race for Life is a hugely moving experience as people come together to remember loved ones lost to cancer, celebrate the lives of those dear to them who have survived or support those going through treatment. By joining like-minded ladies committed to the cause, local women can unite against a disease that affects us all in some way.”

One in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their lives, but the good news is more people are surviving the disease now than ever before. Cancer survival in the UK has doubled since the early 1970s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress.

Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work relies on the public’s support. Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, the charity spent over £9 million last year in the West Midlands on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research - helping more men, women and children survive the disease.

Jane continued: “Every day, 85 people are diagnosed with cancer in the West Midlands. That’s why we need women in Walsall to sign up to Race for Life and join mothers, daughters, sisters and friends at the start line when events kick off this summer.

“Money raised through Race for Life is helping to drive research to help beat over 200 different types of cancer - that’s why every step, every person and every penny raised counts.”

To enter Race for Life visit raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.