As a cancer patient, here’s my one piece of advice to Kate Middleton that could change everything...

There is hope for those of us afflicted with this horrible disease, writes Nina Lopes. Some days are harder than others, but we must never stop cherishing every single moment

How are you supposed to tell a child that young that mummy is very, very sick? (Nina Lopes)

The entire UK was dealt a blow yesterday when it was revealed that Kate Middleton has been diagnosed with cancer. People in the UK who may have never had to face this terrible disease have found themselves suddenly coming to terms with the shock, uncertainty and heartbreak that thousands do every day. It’s an awful feeling, and one that I and my family are all too familiar with.

In 2018 I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. It’s a type of cancer that has a particularly poor prognosis due to the limited range of treatments available to those afflicted, and tends to affect younger women, and Black women especially.

Receiving news like that can change your entire world. I knew it would change mine, but I was more concerned about how it would affect my daughter, Ilani. She was only six at the time – how are you supposed to tell a child that young that mummy is very, very sick?