Leah Bracknell has written her "cancer manifesto" to motivate herself.
The former ‘Emmerdale’ actress was given just months to live over two years ago, and now the 55-year-old star has opened up about her battle with lung cancer and her journey so far.
Speaking at an awareness festival this month, she’s quoted by the Daily Mirror newspaper as saying: "I wrote The Cancer Rebel’s Manifesto for life as a reminder to myself what it takes to keep your head above water.
"To thrive, and to keep on keeping on while living with cancer and defying expectation every single day …
"Against the fear of cancer, against my prognosis, against pity from others and myself, against being diminished by cancer …
"Against being defined by cancer, against restricted by cancer, against being bullied by cancer, and against death."
The soap star – who played Zoe Tate on the show – also addressed both the public and fellow cancer survivors, and she makes sure to "embrace life".
She added: "I embrace the strength of my spirit. I embrace every opportunity that cancer gives me to learn, to grow, to expand, I embrace the glass half full, I embrace healing, I embrace laughter, I embrace joy, I embrace hope …
"And above all else I embrace life … for I am a cancer rebel with a fierce heart, an independent mind, a warrior spirit, and an ocean of desire to keep on keeping on and making a difference and making a noise as long as there is sweet breath in my body."
Leah – who was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in October 2016 – recently said she wants the disease to be her "superpower".
Taking to Instagram, she wrote: "So I was just thinking, if Greta Thunberg and Chris Packham consider their Aspergers and autism to be their superpower, to help them see and think outside the box, I’m just wondering if cancer could be MY superpower…
"I know, what a mad crazy idea, but why the hell not?? #CancerRebel ‘I embrace every opportunity that cancer gives me to learn, to grow, to expand.’ And to FLY!
"#changingperspectives #thinkingoutsidethebox
#harnessyoursuperpower (sic)"
Leah Bracknell writes ‘cancer manifesto’
