Strictly Come Dancing's Amy Dowden has expressed her heartbreak over having to withdraw from this year's competition due to a foot injury.
The Welsh professional dancer, who had been impressing the judges alongside celebrity partner JB Gill, said: "I'm so sad, so upset and asking why me, why now that our journey has been cut short."
This is another blow for the gifted 34-year-old, who was diagnosed with aggressive grade 3 breast cancer in May last year.
Amy is married to fellow dancer Ben Jones and, prior to her shocking diagnosis, the pair had plans to expand their home before starting a family, as they both have a strong desire to become parents. However, Amy and Ben's dreams of parenthood were put on hold to focus on her health, reports the Mirror.
The couple met in their early 20s and Amy expressed her desire to become a mother. "We run a dance school with lots of little girls and boys, I'm a dancing mum already."
Following her diagnosis, Amy underwent a single mastectomy and revealed in her BBC documentary Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me that her chemotherapy treatment induced menopause, which could affect her chances of becoming a mother. "I had a hormone-fed cancer, so they needed to put me into menopause because my hormones were feeding the cancer," she explained.
"My whole body was feeding cancer. But also because I was having chemotherapy and as amazing as chemotherapy is, it destroys a lot of cells in your body. Your eggs, your ovaries, everything can be damaged and not necessarily reboot again."
The star has revealed that doctors are committed to helping her and husband Ben's desire to have children, stating: "They have promised me. There are no guarantees but they will give it their best shot."
In a heartening update shared with her Instagram followers in February, Amy announced that there was "no evidence of disease" found in her latest check-up. "I won't be getting the all-clear for five years - especially with a hormone-fed cancer - but it was all worth it," she expressed.
Despite her joy at returning to Strictly Come Dancing, Amy faced a setback when she collapsed after the main show last week, leading to an ambulance being called as a precaution, according to a spokesperson. Now, a foot injury has dashed her hopes of clinching the Glitterball Trophy this year, with Lauren Oakley stepping in to dance with JB.
On the topic of motherhood, Amy shared that it's currently a waiting game. At present, becoming pregnant would pose too great a risk to her health.
"Since we got married, the question we're asked the most is 'When are you going to have kids? ' and my body can't go through that right now," she explained. The risk of her cancer returning due to the hormones produced during pregnancy is too high.
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"Of course, we want children, but we still don't know," Amy added, acknowledging the various options available and expressing gratitude for them. She also touched on the subject of fertility and societal pressures, urging people to be mindful as one never knows what someone else is experiencing.
"We need to educate," she concluded.
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