The Office actress Lucy Davis has opened up to fans in an extraordinarily brave and moving post, revealing that she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer eighteen months ago.
The 53-year-old, best known for her iconic roles in The Office, Shaun of the Dead and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, shared that the cancer has metastasised to her bones, specifically her spine, right hip, and ribs, making it incurable.
Reflecting on her initial symptoms, Lucy urged her followers never to ignore subtle body changes, recalling that her initial symptom was not a typical lump, but rather a "really tiny" hard spot she almost didn't get checked.
Lucy Davis up about her diagnosis
A post from the star on Instagram said: "I wanted to share something with you all that I’ve kept to myself for a while but for various reasons would like to share now.
"A year-and-a-half ago I was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, which has metastasised to my bones. Specifically to my spine, right hip and my ribs. The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo.
"The initial lump that I felt, wasn’t a ‘lump’ as such; rather a kind of hard spot. Really tiny. I almost didn’t bother getting it checked. So I guess I’m saying don’t ignore anything – get everything checked out.
© Getty Images"As of now, I’m trying to live out whatever might be left of my life in as fun a way as I possibly can. I always like to find the teachable moments in anything negative that happens. And cancer has not disappointed in that regard; there’s a lot I have learned from it, and I’m grateful for that."
She added: "I'm not scared of whatever comes next. I’m at peace with it. I’ll see my Gracie sooner than expected, and for me, leaving my physical body just means going home. Any and all grieving is for my family; it’s far harder for them than for me."
Lucy, who is the daughter of comedian Jasper Carrott, said she will continue working for animal rights, adding that she would also like to keep working as an actress – a job which is one of the "biggest joys" of her life.
© Getty"For those of you on a similar journey to mine, I do wish you well. Cancer asks a lot from us, physically and mentally. And we all get to do it however we choose," she added.
The actress shared a video of her ringing a bell and reading out a rhyme common in many cancer treatment centres to celebrate the end of treatment.
Reading out the poem, she said: "Ring this bell three times well. It’s a toll to clearly say my treatments are done, the course is run, and I am on my way."
A celebrated career on screen
Lucy rose to fame playing receptionist Dawn in The Office, which follows the lives of office workers at Slough paper merchant Wernham Hogg with co-creator Ricky Gervais at the helm as office manager David Brent alongside stars such as The Hobbit actor Martin Freeman – who played bored salesman Tim Canterbury.
© GettyOne of the notable storylines throughout the series is Tim and Dawn's slow-burn office romance.
Debuting in 2001, the series ran until 2003 and also starred Mackenzie Crook as pedantic paper salesman Gareth Keenan and featured appearances from stars including Sally Bretton, Ralph Ineson and Joel Beckett.
Lucy is also known for playing Hayley Jordan on BBC Radio 4’s The Archers for nearly ten years and appeared in the 2004 comedy Shaun Of The Dead opposite Simon Pegg.
