Michelle Heaton: ‘My biggest fear is leaving Faith – but I’ll come through this’
Tuesday 30 October 2012
Michelle Heaton sits curled up on a comfy sofa, 10-month-old baby Faith asleep on her lap. She’s glowing, fit and healthy – her size 8 figure a result of six months of fitness training after giving birth in January.
Later, at our exclusive shoot, Michelle, 33, beams when we ask how she’s done it. “It’s not easy!” she says. “I have to work at it, but I feel very well and that’s so important now.”
Her positive attitude is nothing short of inspirational, given the agonising journey Michelle faces over the next few weeks. After being diagnosed with a rare gene that puts her at a hugely raised risk of breast and ovarian cancer, she’ll soon undergo radical surgery to remove both her breasts.
Her voice trembling, Michelle says: “In my darkest moments, my biggest fear is leaving Faith. But I’m also terrified of going in for the operation and never waking up again. I have a phobia about being put to sleep.
“But I’ll do whatever it takes to be here for my child – that’s the bottom line. The last thing I’d want is for her to grow up without her mum. But I’m stronger than I ever realised – I’ll come through this.”
It’s just four months since Michelle – who’s married to fitness trainer Hugh Hanley, 33 – made the frightening discovery she carries the BRCA2 cancer gene, inherited from dad Christopher’s side of the family. She says: “My dad’s mum, auntie and grandmother all had breast and ovarian cancer, then two years ago my dad tested positive for the gene. Back then, I decided against being tested because as far as I was concerned, ignorance is bliss.”
But after a chance encounter when she went into hospital to give birth to Faith, Michelle decided she couldn’t put it off any longer. She recalls: “I’d got talking to a midwife who told me she had the BRCA2 gene too, and she’d had a double mastectomy as preventative surgery.
“I thought, ‘If she ’s chosen to have such a drastic operation and she’s a nurse, maybe I need to think this through again. I decided to go for the test in April and it took an agonising six weeks for the results to come back.”
When the results came through, Michelle was devastated to learn she carried the gene – giving her an 85 per cent chance of an aggressive form of breast cancer and a 40 per cent chance of ovarian cancer.
“My options were stark,” she says. She looks at Faith, her eyes filling with tears. “It was either preventative surgery, or regular screening then treatment if I was found to have cancer. There’s no way I wanted to face the cancer treatment I’d seen my gran go through.
“Soon after this, Lorraine Kelly’s team heard about my diagnosis and asked if she could help. I wanted advice on what to do – so that’s what we filmed in October for her TV show. Her team lined up experts and other women carrying the gene for me to talk to, and it made the decision so much easier.
“I met two women who’d had the double mastectomy and breast reconstruction. They were younger than me and I thought, ‘At 33, I’m pushing it – this could happen at any time. The longer you leave it, the greater the chances of cancer with this gene – and it moves fast.
“For me, the biggest decision – to have the double mastectomy – was made quickly. I feel there’s no choice. To live with this risk when I have a little baby and a family is not a risk I want to take.”
While filming for Lorraine, she visited consultant oncologist Mr Mosahebi at his hospital, Bushey Spire, in Hertfordshire, where she will have the surgery in November.
She says: “I’ve chosen to have a breast reconstruction to have implants put in at the same time, because otherwise I’d have needed two operations and skin grafts.”
She adds: “I have a Caesarean scar, a scar from my heart recorder [Michelle suffers from a heart condition brought about by regularly taking diet pills between the ages of 18 and 24] – I feel as if I’m being broken down bit by bit.
“I can’t even bring myself to check my boobs any more,” she whispers. “I’m just so scared.”
Michelle cries briefly as she talks through her experiences, but it’s clear she’s a strong woman who’s already survived so much.Eventually, she will have further surgery to remove her ovaries and take away the risk of ovarian cancer. This, she feels, is a real danger, as it’s so hard to detect.
She says: “Hugh and I would like to have another baby in a year or two, so after that we’ll discuss me having my ovaries removed, in my late 30s.
Michelle and baby Faith
“Before that, something I’m dreading after the breast surgery is not being able to carry Faith after the op. She’s just at the age where she’s reaching out to me to be picked up, so that will be awful. The recovery time is similar to a Caesarean – about six weeks.
“Thankfully, my mum Christine is coming to help out, but she’s really struggling with my diagnosis. It’s your worst fear, isn’t it? That a parent might outlive a child.
“Hugh has been amazing, but it’s hard for him. He’s the best husband in the world but he feels useless. He just wants me to be safe and well.”
After a traumatic few months – and with challenging times ahead – Michelle is looking forward to reuniting with her Liberty X bandmates in the new year, and says having old friends around her will help her recovery.
Grinning, the singer says she’s even looking forward to eventually wearing the trademark Liberty X PVC catsuits.
“We had to wear those for our Just a Little video in 2002. I couldn’t fit into mine then because I was bigger, around a size 12-14, so the stylist had to make me an emergency dress! But this time, I’ll be in that catsuit – you just wait and see!”
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Posted by Boobookitty
RE: Michelle Heaton: ‘My biggest fear is leaving Faith – but I’ll come through this’
She will do great. I had exactly the same 'straight to implant' surgery 6 weeks ago. Best thing I ever did. Now I wake up in the mirning and wonder what to have for breakfast, not is today the day I find the lump. The peace of mind is wonderful. I also have a phobia of being put to sleep but what you should remember is that they do this every day, complications are far more common in Hollywood than in real life. Thats what my anaesthetist told me, I went to sleep and woke up in what felt like a second and it was all over. Michelle, you will do just fine x
Posted 30/10/2012 11:20:43
Posted by pinkladyof66
RE: Michelle Heaton: ‘My biggest fear is leaving Faith – but I’ll come through this’
I have also had this done 7 years ago at 39 and next week go in for ovarian removal. I feel happy I have had it done and at least you can get back on with your life knowing that the chance of breast or ovarian cancer is somewhat slimmer.
Posted 31/10/2012 08:26:37