Bedford woman living with secondary breast cancer takes on iconic MoonWalk night-time marathon

A woman first diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of just 34 – and then with secondary breast cancer last year – is joining thousands of women and men to raises cash for charity.

Eva Sominka, from Bedford, will be walking a 15.1 miles half moon at The MoonWalk London, organised by breast cancer charity Walk the Walk.

Other participants – wearing decorated bras and brightly coloured bra T-shirts – will walk either the half moon or a full moon (26.2 miles) on Saturday, May 18.Eva, now aged 40, said: “At the end of 2017, I was checking myself, when I found a lump in my right breast. I was only 34, but I’d always checked my breasts regularly and knew that if I found anything which hadn’t been there before, that I should make an appointment with my GP. It was a huge shock when I was diagnosed with breast cancer – my daughters Maya and Lilly were only six and seven at the time.

“It had never been widely discussed in our family, but it turned out that several relatives had been diagnosed previously with breast or ovarian cancer. I asked my consultant if it was possible I might have the altered BRCA gene, which means that carriers have a greater chance of breast and ovarian cancer. I had some tests and came back positive for BRCA1. Although my left breast was completely clear of cancer, I opted to have a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, as a preventative measure – I later had my ovaries removed too. Opting for surgery wasn’t a difficult decision for me. I wanted to be able to dance at my daughters’ weddings, see them starting their own lives and having their own families.

“In August 2023, I found lump near my collarbone and had a scan, which actually discovered three lumps in total. I was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer just before my 40th birthday – a huge surprise. Even though I’d had so much tissue removed, I knew there was a tiny chance that one small cancer cell might be floating around in my body and start growing.

“Yes, I’m fighting breast cancer again and this time it can’t be cured, but I’m here to tell the story. My treatment is now a monthly injection of hormonal therapy, as well as chemotherapy tablets. I’m actually feeling really well, although sometimes a little more tired, near the end of the working week. For the moment, I’m making the most of every day – my husband Chris has been an absolute rock throughout.

“Just after I was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, I went on a wonderful holiday to Marbella with a group of female friends. One of them, Carrie-Ann, asked me whether I fancied signing up for The MoonWalk London and I said yes! We’ve all now registered for the Half Moon (15.1 miles). The group has been a huge support and always check in on me. We wanted to do something really positive to spread the word about breast cancer and to raise some money along the way. And of course we want to have fun.

“The money we’re raising will make a huge difference to me and to so many others. Even if we can’t cure cancer, hopefully even more people will be able to live a full life with it. I still have so many years to live and so much I want to do.”

Visit www.walkthewalk.org to sign up for the The MoonWalk London 2024.