AN INSPIRATIONAL woman who beat a six-million to one chance of surviving cancer is taking to the catwalk to help support people living with the disease.

Nicola Frost, aged 30, from Hartford Drive in Brandlesholme, was diagnosed with rare Neuroblastoma in 1989 aged just 18 months.

By the time doctors and Nicola's family were aware of the disease and started to treat it, the cancer had spread further up her body and into her chest.

Nicola's parents were then told that she had a six million to one chance of survival.

She was started on chemotherapy and after six of the ten cycles the tumours appeared to have gone.

Miss Frost, an English Teacher at Bury College, said: "My parents tell me I was the only child on the ward at the time who wasn't sick during chemo, until that is, they gave me anti-sickness medication. Typical me, always going against the grain.

"At the time Neuroblastoma was the rarest child cancer, affecting only around one in 400,000 people."

Despite beating cancer before the age of three, Nicola was left paralysed from the chest down, and was told that she would never walk or feel her legs.

She said: "I got my first wheelchair at two and they have grown with me ever since, and taken me on many an adventure.

"I don't remember chemo or the pain and treatment but I've still had many difficulties to face, learning about how my body works after what the cancer left me with.

"I often get asked "Do you wish you could walk?" But my answer is always the same — I would not have done half of the things I have done if I could walk."

Miss Frost has since gone onto have an inspirational and audacious life, representing England at wheelchair basketball, and being crowned national wheelchair dancing champion aged five.

She has also recently set up her own calligraphy and watercolour business, and is now turning her sights to taking part in the Maggie's on the Runway fashion show.

Founded by Margo Cornish, a former HR manager from Cheshire, in 2016, Maggie's on the Runway has raised more than £175,000, through a fashion show and gala dinner.

This year's event takes place under the Concorde at Manchester Airport on June 16 and will support Maggie's Manchester, at the Christie Hospital.

Miss Frost said: "I saw an advert for Maggie's on the Runway on their Facebook page.

My fiancé had just broken up with me and I thought to myself, "I need a bit of a confidence boost".

"I can't wait now, I have been massively out of my comfort zone but I come out of rehearsals and I'm buzzing."

She added: "The Maggie's Centre has helped me so much through recent times since my mum was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in her brain in October last year.

"They have given me great support and friendship, but most of all they have given me some normality back to my life.

"I'm so looking forward to adding Maggie's on the Runway to the list of my adventures.

"I want to show that no matter what kind of body cancer leaves you with, or how much of it you can use, you can still shake your thang on a catwalk and be proud of what you have."

Maggie's was created following efforts by Maggie Keswick Jencks, together with her husband Charles and oncology specialists, after she was told she had only months to live when her breast cancer came back in May 1993.

Joining an advanced chemotherapy trial in 1994, Mrs Jencks lived for another 18 months, and the first Maggie's centre opened in Edinburgh in 1996, making her dream become real.

The Manchester centre is now one of 21 around the country which offer one-to-one support for people living with cancer from benefits advice to yoga classes and meditation — funded almost entirely from donations.

Rebecca Jane, Maggie’s on the Runway PR manager, said: "Nicola is a fantastic member of our model team for 2018, she's an incredible lady with a very inspiring story. We're honoured she is part of our team and Maggie's.

"We would like the public to know that Maggie's is there for everyone, because as anyone with cancer will know, it's about 'more than medicine'. "We offer support to not only people going through cancer, but their family and friends too.

"We have a variety of services that can be seen on our website, and we invite everyone to come to our Manchester centre for a cup of tea and a chat."