She'd started a new job, moved into a new house and was settling down to married life with new husband Rob. One day, they hoped, they'd have kids. Right now they were happy enjoying life - seeing friends, making the most of living in London, taking off for the occasional city break.

But everything changed for Allison the day she discovered the lump.

The newlyweds were decorating their bedroom. 'I was absolutely covered in paint,' says Allison. 'I jumped in the shower to try and get the paint off and while I was soaping myself I felt something hard in my left breast. I assumed it was hormonal and that it would go away. But it didn't, and it started to hurt.'

Doctor's orders
'My GP referred me to a breast surgeon, who said it probably a cyst. He gave me some antibiotics and took some fluid. I went away, took the antibiotics and I thought the lump was getting smaller - wishful thinking! A week later, me and Rob went back. The surgeon told us that it was breast cancer and I needed a mastectomy.'

Allison's voice is quietly matter-of-fact as she remembers that day. 'We thought I was going to die. We went home, sat in the back garden - it was a beautiful day - and we cried together.'

Treatment
Months of gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed. 'It wasn't nice,' says Allison, with characteristic understatement. 'But you get through these things. I made an effort to educate myself and understand what was happening to me. The Cancer Research UK website was incredibly useful.'

She describes her mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. 'I thought I would end up looking like Jordan,' she says, 'but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Showing Rob was difficult. But now he doesn't think anything of it.'

As her treatment ended, a new worry appeared on the horizon. Would she still be able to conceive?

Baby blues
'Having a baby was so important to me,' she says. 'I didn't want to wait. I thought: who knows? I might not be around in the next few years. I decided not to have my eggs frozen, though. The success rate is so low, it didn't seem worth it.'

Allison was told that her chemotherapy might bring on an early menopause. It was a shock when she conceived. But a scan showed no heartbeat. The baby had died. 'I was gutted,' she says simply.

So began a year of heartbreak. She conceived again a few months later. Again, a scan showed that her baby had died.

She became pregnant for a third time. 'Then I had very severe pains. It turned out to be an ectopic pregnancy.' The strain began to show.

Losing control
'It broke my heart. Every pregnant woman I walked past reduced me to tears. I was an absolute mess. I thought: what have I done to deserve this? I've had enough. I've already had cancer - why is this happening to me as well?'

Then Allison found out she was pregnant for a fourth time. This time, a six-week scan showed a heartbeat.

'I will never forget the day of the three-month scan,' she says. 'I sat in the car on the way to the hospital feeling incredibly worried and scared. Then I saw her on the screen. It was magical. In the early scan, she'd just been a blob. Now she was my baby.'

Mum at last
On May 3 2006 little Mia was born. 'Childbirth is worse then chemo!' laughs Allison. 'It was long and horrible! But all the pain was worth it.'

Allison has regular check-ups and so far, she's still clear of cancer. But she's not wasting precious time worrying about what might be.

'When you're diagnosed with breast cancer at 26, you realise that life might not be as long as you hoped,' she says. 'You've just got to make the most of it. And we do. Me and Mia have the most fun ever, every moment of every day.'

For more information, visit www.cancerhelp.org.uk

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