Ex-model Zhang Mei Mei had a close brush with cancer, but she was not aware of it until it was too late.

The once-aspiring model thought nothing of a small growth that she discovered on her breast. Thinking it was just a pimple, she did not seek medical help. She left the growth alone, but it did not subside. After it got too painful, she decided to see her doctor, and was shocked to find out that it was actually a 3.5cm wide tumour. She needed surgery immediately, but it would involve removing her entire left breast.

That was 12 years ago. Today, the 57-year-old is alive and healthy, and recounted her close brush with cancer to Lianhe Wanbao. Back then, she was also a fashion designer, with a husband and two young children. Since she was at the peak of her life, she decided to remove her breast in order to save her life.

Mei Mei told Lianhe Wanbao: "I did not feel like a complete woman after losing my breast. I lost interest in my life, my work and my friends and I couldn't accept the reality and wanted to give up."

But thoughts of her two young children made her decide to come out of her depression and she managed to complete 12 rounds of treatment. Today, she is free of the cancer.