A WOMAN whose 18-month-old son was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer just days after a hysterectomy to treat her own, will officially start this year’s Race For Life.

Johanna Wells, who lives in Llanrhystud with her husband John and their two sons, has been chosen by Cancer Research UK to start the race, which takes place on 15 May, for being an “inspiration”.

Johanna, who selflessly turned down radiotherapy to take son Evan for experimental treatment in London, doesn’t see herself as inspirational, and says the diagnosis of her and her son six years ago was “horrendous”.

“In 2010 I was diagnosed with cervical cancer,” Johanna, now 31, recalls. “I had a hysterectomy and, five days later, Evan was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer.

“It was horrendous, the worst time in the world, and it’s hard to imagine now how we got through it.”

But got through it they did.

Johanna says it was 18 months before she felt back to her old self.

Evan, who is now seven years old and also cancer free, still suffers from some side-effects.

“He has sore joints and low immunity, so he picks up bugs,” Johanna explained.

But things are better than they were in 2010 when the rarity of Evan’s cancer forced Johanna to make a tough decision about her own, as she explained.

“As well as the hysterectomy, I had the lymph nodes removed from my leg. I was supposed to have radiotherapy as a precaution, but it fell at the same time as Evan’s treatment, so I decided to go to London with him instead.

“At the time, he was the youngest person to receive the type of radiotherapy he had and that’s why we had to go to London.

“Thankfully my consultant agreed I should go, and gave me extra check-ups.”

Both Johanna and Evan’s treatments were successful and Johanna has been a supporter of the Race For Life and Cancer Research UK since.

To support Evan and Corey’s fundraiser, visit www.justgiving.com/evanandcoreywells. To help Johanna raise money for the Race For Life, visit www.justgiving.com/johannawells3.

Do you have a Race For Life story to share? Please write to Julie McNicholls Vale at the Cambrian News, or e-mail