On the eve of her 40th birthday, Isabelle Bertuello was having a shower when she felt a lump on her breast.
She instantly took action and had a mammogram and ultrasound, but the doctors put her mind at rest and said she had nothing to worry about.
Unconvinced, her husband, who is involved in the medical profession, kept insisting that she should have the lump removed as a precaution, but she clung to the doctors' words.
"Sadly, I had been misdiagnosed and six months after the first results, they discovered I had breast cancer... which had already started spreading to my bones," she told The Sunday Times, in a low voice.
Her 12-year-old son Reuben and daughter Raquel, nine, stood by her side waving a pink placard with the words Fighting For Our Future, eagerly waiting for the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation rally in Valletta yesterday to begin. "When my mum was undergoing chemotherapy, I was so sad that I couldn't hug her. I was scared I would give her an infection. I'm helping her all the way now," Reuben said, looking up lovingly at his mum.
"My message to women is that as soon as you find a lump on your breasts, be assertive and have it removed," she said. The Bertuello family yesterday joined the rally, themed Painting Valletta Pink, to raise awareness on a condition that robs so many women of their lives each year.
Wearing pink feather boas and brandishing pink magic wands, the group walked from City Gate to Parliament along Republic Street to show solidarity with women who have battled breast cancer, or are still going through the ordeal.
The foundation was yesterday marking Pink Day by handing out information pamphlets on the symptoms and risks of breast cancer, plus the importance of self-examinations.
They were also collecting signatures to lobby for more extensive breast screening programmes and improved medical treatment for breast cancer victims. The foundation will be visiting every town and village on the island raising awareness, providing training courses and rallying support.
Labour MP Helena Dalli, who joined the walk, expressed her dismay at the way the government announced a national breast screening programme in the Budget, when the head of the Radiotherapy and Oncology Department was completely unaware of such plans. "This is an election gimmick. I can assure you it won't be implemented.
"How can it materialise when we've been pressing for a 10-year, high-risk programme and we were told there were no resources?" Ms Dalli asked.
The foundation welcomed the Budget announcement of a national programme, however, it was keen to see it introduced properly.
Charles Cardona who was supporting the cause, encouraged those present to sponsor him for a 36-kilometre marathon walk from Cirkewwa to Marsaxlokk.
The walk will be held next Sunday at 10 a.m. For sponsor forms or information call or send an SMS to 7997-2997 before Wednesday.
www.actionforbreastcancer.com