"It wouldn’t happen to me’Suffolk woman raises £4,000 after breast cancer diagnosis
A 26-year-old Suffolk woman diagnosed with breast cancer after noticing a change in a lump is urging other young people to check their bodies.
Megan Baggiony-Taylor, from Freston, was diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer this summer and has since undergone two operations, with chemotherapy and radiotherapy still ahead of her.
She has now turned her experience into a campaign to raise awareness and money for Breast Cancer Now, organising a community rounders event attended by more than 100 people.
But Megan said her experience began more than a year before her diagnosis.
‘I trusted the medical professionals’
Megan said she first noticed a lump in her breast in February 2025, while living outside Suffolk.
She told us she visited her GP and was referred to a breast clinic, where she underwent an ultrasound.
Megan said she was told the lump was hard tissue and there was nothing to worry about.
She continued to notice it during the following year, but said she relied on the reassurance she had been given.
It was while on holiday in June 2026, after moving back to Suffolk, that Megan noticed a significant dimple over the same area.
She said: “Immediately I just knew that that wasn't right and that wasn't normal.”
After returning home, Megan went to her GP and was referred to a breast clinic again, where she underwent further investigations including an ultrasound, biopsy and mammogram.
On July 3, Megan attended the appointment alone, expecting to be reassured again.
Instead, she said doctors told her they were “pretty certain” she had breast cancer.
Megan said: “I just immediately was sobbing, didn't know what to do with myself.”
Her father, who worked at the hospital, was able to join her before she left.
She added: “I don't know how I would have done hearing those words completely on my own.”
Her diagnosis was subsequently confirmed following the biopsy.
Megan said a CT scan found no evidence of cancer elsewhere in her body. She later learned she had stage 2B, grade 3 breast cancer and said the tumour measured around 5.5 centimetres.
She underwent surgery to remove the tumour on July 27, less than a month after her initial appointment, and said she was grateful for the speed with which she was treated.
‘Cancer doesn't discriminate’
Looking back at her first assessment in 2025, Megan said she sometimes wondered whether she should have sought further answers at the time.
But she said: “I trusted the medical professionals.”
Megan said her experience had changed the way she thinks about breast cancer in younger people.
She said: “Cancer doesn't discriminate in any shape or form.”
She added that she wished her age had played less of a role in the reassurance she says she received during her original assessment.
Megan said: “I think looking at a young person and thinking, ‘Oh, you're in your 20s, it's going to be fine’... it's not a definitive or reassuring situation.”
There is no evidence in the material provided that Megan's earlier care has been formally found to be inadequate, and her comments reflect her own experience and views.
Turning her diagnosis into something positive
Rather than allowing her diagnosis to stop her plans, Megan decided she wanted to raise awareness among other young people.
Together with her partner Thomas Cornock, she organised Rounders Against Breast Cancer at Freston Village Hall.
More than 100 people attended the event, which included a rounders match, raffle and games, and more than £4,000 was raised for Breast Cancer Now.
The event came during an already difficult period in Megan's treatment.
Three weeks beforehand, she learned she would need a second operation. That surgery ultimately took place just three days before the fundraiser, meaning she was unable to take part herself.
Megan said: “I was so pleased that the event was still able to take place, and whilst I was unable to take part in the rounders tournament, watching everyone have fun, show up, and donate meant the world to me and is something I will never forget.”
Thomas described seeing the community turn out for Megan as emotional.
He said: “Watching her strength, determination, and ability to remain a shining light of positivity has inspired me more than ever.”
‘Know your normal’
For Megan, however, the fundraising is only part of what she hopes will come from sharing her experience.
She said people had contacted her to say they had never previously checked their chest but had started doing so after hearing about her diagnosis.
That, she said, was why she wanted to continue speaking publicly.
Megan said: “I wanted to make a difference and make enough noise that every young woman and young man, because men unfortunately can get breast cancer too, feel their chest.”
She urged people who notice something different to seek medical advice and become familiar with what is normal for their own bodies.
Breast Cancer Now says around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year.
Mia Zanuttini, the charity's Community Fundraising Executive, thanked Megan for her efforts and said the money would help fund research and specialist support for people affected by the disease.
Megan still faces chemotherapy and radiotherapy as her treatment continues.
She said the support of her partner, friends and family had carried her through her treatment so far.
Her message to other people facing something similar is simple.
“As scary as it feels, you've just got to fight for yourself and push for more answers.”
She added: “It will be OK. Even on the rubbish days.”