Sara Page, who moved to the UK from Albuquerque, New Mexico believes her pooch, Freyja has a sixth sense. Border Collie-Labrador cross Freyja was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer with six months to live in January 2014.
Pet lover who battled breast cancer alongside her dog reveals pair’s remarkable survival.
From The Irish Sun
By Aletha Adu
Sara Page only decided to book her mammogram, which led to her diagnosis, because of her dog, Freyja’s ‘sixth sense.’
Sara Page, 54, who moved to the UK from Albuquerque, New Mexico, only decided to book her mammogram breast screening appointment because of her Border Collie-Labrador cross, Freyja’s “sixth sense”.
In 2014, Sara recalls Freyja “barking like mad” at the TV, eventually hitting her breast which jogged her memory to chase up her screening.
As she waited for results in February that year, she noticed Freyja had a lump near her breast, and weeks later she was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer with six months to live.
Sara, who doesn’t have many friends or family in the UK, was devastated, but was determined to give her the best few months of her life.
Sara admits worrying for her dog’s health while she was battling her own cancer
Nine months later, Freyja’s cancer was not getting any worse but Sara was told she too had stage 1A breast cancer.
Sara said: “It didn’t feel fair to be diagnosed so soon after Freyja. It was such a shock and so devastating.”
After a lumpectomy and having a lymph node removed in June 2015, Sara also underwent six rounds of chemotherapy between August and December 2015.
Freyja, who still had cancer, stood by her side, attending all her chemotherapy sessions and later radiotherapy treatments a month later.
Speaking after she survived all odds, Sara said: “I really believe dogs have a sixth sense. I think Freyja survived so she could stick around and help get me through my cancer battle.
“If she had died, I don’t know what I would have done without her. I would have been so lonely with Rob working away a lot. That dog is my best friend and I needed her by my side.”
A recent study by Pets at Home and Petplan insurance showed 69 per cent of pet owners claimed their pets had helped them through a difficult period in their life.
