While it isn’t uncommon for life to throw the odd curve-ball at people, one woman has proved she is capable of tackling almost anything after emerging victorious from two years of trials and travails.
Most people know that having a baby, moving house or going through a separation are testing times, but 33-year-old staff nurse, Kerry Reeves, has recently dealt with all the above and being diagnosed with cancer, duly becoming an inspirational figure for her peers.
After separating from her husband when her son, Arran was only one year old, Ms Reeves made a new plan. She moved house to Westhill to be closer to her parents and enrolled in a post-graduate honours degree in Public Health Nursing to help support herself and Arran on her own.
But, just three weeks before the start of her course, she faced her greatest test after being given the news she had cervical cancer.
Ms Reeves said: “Before my diagnosis, there was a lot going on in my life anyway – my husband and I had just separated and I had Arran who was only little at the time.
“I was juggling a lot of things anyway, such as finding a new house, so I think I’ve basically done all the stressful things you can do in the last two years.
“I moved last year from Inverurie to be closer to my parents – which was just as well in the end after getting my diagnosis.
“I also decided to train for an honours degree to be a health visitor. I’d made a new plan, a bit of a fresh start. Then, three weeks before I was due to start my new course, I got the diagnosis and it was a shock.”
Although Ms Reeves received the all-clear from cancer after undergoing a hysterectomy, the illness has transformed her life and she admitted it was difficult to come to terms with not being able to have children in the future.
She said: “Knowing I can no longer have children is difficult, because I had thought that I was still young-ish and, if I was to meet someone else, we might want to have children in the future.
“However, I am very grateful that I have my son and ensuring that I am still around for him was much more important.”
Despite hearing everything she has been through, I couldn’t help but smile when camera-shy Kerry said the catwalk was now the most daunting thing on her calendar.
She added: “The catwalk does terrify me because I am so shy, but I know it will be fun and it’ll be a great atmosphere.
“I imagine most people would say that if you can get through cancer, you can get through the catwalk. I am so nervous but I know I’ll feel fantastic and really proud once I’ve done it.”
