Girl, 17, and her mother are both
diagnosed with cancer after finding lumps in their breasts - and organise their
chemotherapy so they can take care of each other.
When Bethany Carlton was diagnosed with breast cancer
aged just 17 she felt as though her world was falling apart.
Her mother, Mybritt Larsen, 47, was by her side when she had
a lump removed days before her 18th birthday - and when the teenager was
later told she had a rare form of muscle cancer.
But just three months into her year-long chemotherapy
treatment, the pair from Mackay, in Queensland, were left reeling once again
when Ms Larsen was also diagnosed with breast cancer.
They are now
fighting cancer together and even organise their chemotherapy sessions so they
can take care of each other She came into my room and she said, 'I have
something to tell you... I have cancer' and I was just thinking, are you
serious,' Bethany told the Brisbane Times.
'I just started laughing and then she started laughing and I
said 'I am so sorry, I feel terrible but this is just so random, what are
chances of this happening'.
'I said, 'Why are you trying to steal my thunder Mum? I am
the one with cancer, not you!',
After that I went to my friend's house and I had a little
cry because I was a upset.'
They help support each other through their treatment and are
positive that they will win their separate battles side-by-side.
Bethany said her mother 'motivated' her to keep going and
revealed that their struggle has showed how powerful their 'mother-daughter'
bond is.
The teenager first visited her GP in 2013 after her partner
felt a lump underneath her right breast - but ignored his advice to have an
ultrasound.
Bethany decided to have an ultrasound and biopsy after
the lump grew from the size of a five-cent coin to the size of a small apricot.
Bethany is now trying to raise enough money so she can
create a series of dance pieces to Sia songs that have helped her through her
'cancer year'
'I felt like the unluckiest person in the world,' she told That’s
Life.
'It felt like I was struck by lightning. Why was this
happening to me?'
She underwent surgery in Brisbane to have the cancerous lump
removed two weeks later - just five days before her 18th birthday.
A few weeks she was asked to undergo further testing which
showed she had a rare form of muscle cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma.
The teenager, who is a budding choreographer, was then
visited by a social worker who explained that chemotherapy might affect her
ability to fall pregnant.
'She came into my room and said: 'We need to walk about your
fertility options'.
'I just broke down there, I thought 'I wasn't even thinking
about having kids, this is crazy talk'.'
Bethany went on IVF and had some of her eggs removed before
starting her chemotherapy in May.
Three months into her treatment, she decided to take control
of her hair loss and shaved it all off. She now wears a raven-black wig which
makes her feel 'beautiful again'.
Her mother was there for her throughout the treatment, but
was forced to deliver more bad news when her mammogram showed she also had a
mass in her breast.
'I never thought lightning would strike in the same place
twice,' Ms Larsen told That's Life.
'I'm sure we can beat this together.'
Ms Larsen was diagnosed with stage-three and was told she
needed six months of chemotherapy.
Bethany is now trying to raise enough money so she can
create a series of dance pieces to Sia songs that have helped her through her
'cancer year'.
'Having the chance to express my story through my beloved
artform would not only be a massive dream, but as I wish to professionally
document the performances, it would be a monument of this tough life experience
and inspire others to tell their story too,' she said.
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