Lena McAllister has spent her entire adult life fighting.

At 18, she was involved in a horrific car crash on the motorway that should really have killed her.

She survived, but was left paralysed, and has since had to come to terms with life in a wheelchair.

Now Lena has been dealt another huge blow, having been diagnosed with breast cancer, aged just 27.

The chemotherapy treatment meant she would lose her long blonde hair, and she also had to take an emotional decision to freeze some of her eggs in case it leaves her infertile.

She could have been excused for feeling sorry for herself, for thinking why me, but she said that is just not her style.

"All I want is an easy life, but I seem to get everything thrown at me," said Lena, from Todhills, near Carlisle.

"But I'm not going to sit and nurse it. That will just make it worse. I decided straight away that I have to be positive. To me it's about small battles. One step at a time. That's just me."

She's even documented her journey publicly, posting photos and videos on her Facebook page, to raise awareness.

"You don't realise, until you start talking about, how many people have had it. I hope I can help raise awareness and encourage more people to get themselves checked," she said.

Lena, who was a Miss Cumbria finalist in 2016, even had to turn down a dream modelling shoot for online fashion website ASOS because she wasn't well enough, but again took it in her stride.

She found the lump under her breast, roughly where the underwire of a bra sits, and was immediately concerned.

"You think it will be on your breast, but this just shows you need to check the whole area," she said.

She went to the GP, who sent her for a biopsy.

"People get fatty lumps in the body that aren't cancerous, so they thought it might be that," she said.

"But this was quite big. They said 35mm in total. I had the biopsy on the lump and lymph nodes."

Lena said the consultant had already told her the size of the lump indicated cancer, so she wasn't too shocked when she received the news. "They told me to bring someone with me for the results so I went with my mum. I could just tell it was bad news," she said.

"I've been around hospitals a lot, ever since the accident, so when they said it was cancer my attitude was 'right, what are we going to do about it'. I need to know what's going on, then I can deal with it. The waiting for results was the worst bit. I hate to be left in limbo."

She was diagnosed in March and had surgery to remove the lump and several lymph nodes in April.

"Even if I'd needed to have my breast off I would have dealt with it. I just thought I've already lost the use of my legs. It can't be any worse than that," she added.

"Surgery was definitely the hardest part for me though. With having a spinal injury you use your top half so much."

After recovering from the operation, Lena started the process to freeze her eggs prior to starting her chemotherapy.

"That was quite surreal. Quite difficult actually. It's not something I ever thought I'd have to think about.

"I'm not even in a relationship at the moment, but I just thought what if I meet someone and then can't have children. It's for the future. I'm pleased I did it," she explained.

Lena also took the decision to cut off all of her waist-length hair before it started to fall out, so that she could donate it to charity and help young girls who are going through cancer treatment.

"I knew I was going to lose it anyway, so I thought I'd rather do it now and make good use of it," she said.

"I got it really short, then there was still hair on my pillow every morning so I told my mum to get the shavers out.

"It hasn't really bothered me too much, being bald. I know it will grow back. I like wearing the turbans, wigs and headscarves. I've bought loads and keep buying more to match all my outfits!"

She is now part way through the chemotherapy, and said the treatment has been tough, but she's had a lot of support.

"It feels like having a week long hangover, without the night out. You feel sick and dizzy," explained Lena.

Once that is complete, she will undergo radiotherapy and drug treatment, to reduce the chances of it coming back.

"It should all be over by August next year. I'm nearly halfway through the chemo now. It seems to have gone well so far. The consultant said the chemo was like an insurance policy, to make sure there were no little bits left," she said.


Lena was among those nominated in the News & Star/Carlisle Racecourse search for the north and west Cumbria's most inspirational and amazing lady.

The nomination praised her selflessness, saying: "Even through trying to come to terms with this devastating news, she still thought of others first, and had her waist length hair cut and donaterd to charity.

"I couldn't think of a better, more caring, loving person than Lena. She is so beautiful inside and out, and never complains about the awful events that have happened. She always has the brightest smile for everyone."