A BREAST cancer survivor from Dorset is set to become a catwalk star when she takes part in a charity fashion show in London.

Louise Kayles, from Blandford, is one of 32 models taking part in Breast Cancer Care’s celebrity-hosted event on Wednesday.

The 37-year-old was diagnosed with breast cancer last year but has since undergone chemotherapy. Now she is hoping her turn on the catwalk will inspire other breast cancer survivors to realize it is possible to look and feel great after a diagnosis.

“The Breast Cancer Care Fashion Show will be a great chance for me to feel feminine again,” she said.

“Having breast cancer meant I lost my breast, then my hair and put on two stone. I felt unfeminine, frumpy and out of control. I’m confident the show will help me move past this, it will help me prove that you can look and feel great after a diagnosis.”

The mum-of-two had been experiencing breast pain for over a year before being diagnosed, even though there was no lump and initial scans did not find anything to cause concern.

Louise said when she was finally diagnosed, she went into shock. All she could feel was fear about dying and leaving behind her sons. “Having the chemo and looking after my kids was a real challenge at the time, but I never stopped being their mum,” she explained.

“I knew I wanted to be there for them well into the future and so it motivated me to fight. They also gave me something else to focus on. They were too small to understand what was happening, so they would just sweep me along into their crazy little worlds – it was wonderful.”

Now Louise has finished treatment, she is hoping the show, now in its 19th year, will help her move past the cancer. She will be strutting her stuff in a wide variety of outfits by designers such as Butler & Wilson and Jeff Banks and high-street stores like House of Fraser and Dorothy Perkins.

Samia al Qadhi, chief executive at Breast Cancer Care, added: “We are so excited to see our inspiring models take to the catwalk in front of their friends and families. Their courage and hard work is an inspiration that not only makes the show a really special event but also helps Breast Cancer Care raise vital funds.”