Hollyoaks star Ali Bastian has been diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.
The 42-year-old actress – who is best known for playing Becca Dean in the Channel 4 soap from 2001 to 2007 – has admitted she was left in “total shock” when she found out the devastating news at the end of June.
Ali – who now lives in Ireland with her husband and two young daughters – is currently having chemotherapy before she undergoes a mastectomy and radiotherapy.
She told OK!: ‘It was a total shock. I have mornings when I wake up and I’ve forgotten… and then suddenly I remember. I’m still trying to process it.’
Ali was breastfeeding daughter Isabella, 19 months – her youngest child with husband David O’Mahony – when she came across a lump.
Hollyoaks star Ali Bastian has been diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer after discovering a lump while breastfeeding
Ali was breastfeeding daughter Isabella, 19 months – her youngest child with husband David O’Mahony – when she came across a lump
The mother-of-two – who also raises Isla, four, with her husband – shared: ‘I hadn’t been breastfeeding Izzy at night but then David flew back to London for work and suddenly she was feeding like crazy. I was thinking, “Maybe she’s having a growth spurt or something.”
‘And because of that, my boobs felt sore. The next morning, I woke up and thought, “Ouch, this really hurts.” And that’s when I felt a lump.’
Ali assumed she had a “blocked duct” and was given a course of antibiotics, but it wasn’t clearing up, so on her doctor’s advice, she headed to a breast clinic.
She continued: ‘It was a bank holiday in Ireland, so I went straight to the emergency doctor.
‘It really seemed like I had mastitis, especially as I had been night-weaning Izzy before that. We thought I probably had a blocked duct. The doctor gave me antibiotics and said that if it didn’t clear up in a few days I should go to the breast clinic.
‘But it wasn’t clearing up and the more I felt it, the more it felt like this wasn’t just a blocked duct. I went to my GP and I said, ‘Actually, can I go to the clinic now?’ and she was very supportive of that.’
Ali received the shock news via telephone but was reassured after being told they have “intent to cure” her.
Explaining that the clinic was too far to go for the diagnosis, she said: ‘We agreed that I would text her and that she would then call me back. I could hear it in the tone of her voice, but she told me in the kindest way possible.
Ali married her partner, West End actor David (pictured), in 201p. The couple are parents to Isla (pictured) and Isabella
‘She was very reassuring. She said the words that I’m holding on to, that they have “intent to cure me.”‘
Doctors are convinced her cancer is “hormone-driven” and are doing more research to establish if it’s genetic, however, her maternal aunt and grandmother also had breast cancer.
She is set to undergo a single mastectomy and is still waiting to hear if doing double is a good idea as a “preventative measure”.
The actress is also being seen by a psychologist who specialises in oncology and has been given a mentor who has had cancer.
Ali has vowed to beat the disease and has every intention of returning to acting.
She added: ‘I will get through this and come out the other side. After my diagnosis, I went on Instagram and saw a post by my friend Dominic Power, my former co-star in The Bill, and I could see he was on set in Hollyoaks.
I suddenly had a real pang of, “I want to look into an actor’s eyes and do a scene.” I really miss it.’
In December the actress admitted she was still processing her grief following the death of her close friend, Lou
In May Ali revealed news of Lou’s passing to her Instagram followers in a heartbreaking post (pictured together)
In December the actress admitted she was still processing her grief following the death of her close friend, Lou.
She told Instagram followers: ‘This year has been a year of sailing the lonely sea of grief. I haven’t spoken about it and so it’s been very tricky to know how to begin to show up authentically here and in my professional life.
‘As the life I have carved out for myself is a very visible one and at times, a lot of times I have wanted and needed to pull the duvet over my head.
‘I am so grateful for the kindness, support and connection in this little corner of the internet and will continue to be here when I feel able and to also take the quiet time I need.’
Ali had previously revealed news of Lou’s passing to her Instagram followers that May, saying she had lost one of her ‘oldest and closest’ friends.
She wrote: ‘My little one will be 12 weeks this Saturday. The End of the fourth trimester – the end of a period that has been one of the toughest of my life.
‘A week after she was born, I lost one of my oldest and closest friends. Trying to process this enormous loss whilst walking the hormonal tightrope of my postpartum period has been and remains to be incredibly intense.
‘I’ve taken to having long showers so I can cry and let it all out so that I can then return to parenting a little lighter.
‘Knowing that such life changing events happening in such close succession could leave my mental health sailing incredibly close to the wind has meant I’ve had to seek help wherever I could find it.’
Doctors are convinced Ali’s cancer is “hormone-driven” and are doing more research to establish if it’s genetic, however, her maternal aunt and grandmother also had breast cancer
The 42-year-old actress is best known for playing Becca Dean in the Channel 4 soap from 2001 to 2007 (pictured on the show with former co-star Chris Fountain)
She added: ‘Some days are easier than others and I am holding my babies tightly but ultimately…
‘I miss my friend with all my heart. My beautiful, funny, dry as f**k friend. I miss her laugh, I miss our short hand. I miss our hugs when we hadn’t seen each other for ages.
‘Our always long overdue catch ups over wine by the river. Friday nights when I would drive from wherever I had been filming to crash out on her and her dear husband’s sofa after a take away.
‘So many memories, so many happy times. An incredible light went out that day. Lou, I will love you forever.’
If you have have been affected by anything in this story, contact the Macmillan Support Line for free on 0808 808 00 00.