A MUM from Newport with terminal breast cancer has said she is "absolutely blown away" following an outpouring of support from friends and strangers alike.

Rhiann Breen, who lives near Corporation Road in the city with her husband Gavin and two young children - Max, three, and Isobel, 10 months, was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in August 2019, just as she was preparing to celebrate her 31st birthday.

Her prognosis was just 12 months.

"Upon first finding the lump, I felt sick with worry, as anybody else would," she said. "As soon as you hear that dreaded word that confirms your worst fear, your whole world just comes crashing down around you."

About 10-20 per cent of breast cancers are triple-negative - a more aggressive form of the disease which generally has a poorer prognosis.

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But Mrs Breen is certainly not facing her ordeal alone - as well as her husband and children, she has received and outpouring of support from friends, family, and even strangers, thanks to a fundraising page set up to make the coming weeks and months as happy as possible.

Since going live last week, the page, set up by Kathryn Stacey has been inundated with donations - at time of writing it is sitting at £6,135.

Mrs Breen said: "Just wow. I'm absolutely blown away. We all are.

"The donations are continuing to come in in all shapes and sizes and it's all thanks to a lovely bunch of ladies who I haven't even met in person.

"They're also mothers and we're all around the same age so I think it's really hit home for them.

"We came together on Instagram two years ago and have spoken every day since then.

"I'm just so thankful to have them as friends and extremely grateful for all of the donations.

"It's a nice reminder that social media can be a good place and it restores your faith in humanity."

Mrs Breen said that she hopes to use any money raised to provide a secure future for her family. However, the page has already surpassed expectations and the family are hoping to use the extra funds to create some family memories.

"The main thing is to provide financial security for my husband and children," she said. "It would be one less thing Gav would have to worry about.

"We also have a trip to Weymouth booked. I have so many memories from my holidays there growing up."

Mrs Breen also said that her husband, Gavin, has mentioned taking her to see the Northern Lights, something she has always wanted to do.

"It can be a lot of pressure thinking of what to do with it but I just want to enjoy the time I have left with my family," she said.

She also said her diagnosis had brought home to her the importance of regularly checking for lumps.

"I can't really give any more advice than to just do it regularly," she said. "Men and women of all ages can be affected by breast cancer.

"I'm not over 50, I have no family history of breast cancer and I'm not a carrier of the BRCA gene mutation - I'm one of the examples that it can happen to absolutely anybody."

She added that online support was now widespread and easily accessible, with multiple websites offering support on how to examine yourself and what to look out for.

"My go to's are CoppaFeel and Breast Cancer Now," she said.

To make a donation towards the fundraising campaign in support of Mrs Breen and her family, visit gofundme.com/f/rhi039s-village

For more information on triple-negative breast cancer, visit breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/trip_neg