A Financial Planning firm’s first ever apprentice wants her story of beating cancer aged just 22 to help save the lives of other young women.

Sarah Monaghan, who found out she had cervical cancer soon after joining Bury-based Wealthcare in 2013, has been helping to support a campaign to lower the age for smear tests.

She not only overcame the disease and continued working but has managed to achieve promotion at the firm too.

Sarah, who has worked in pensions, investments and employee benefits teams, hopes her story can be an inspiration for others to beat cancer.

She told Financial Planning Today: “I recently appeared in a national magazine as part of a campaign to lower the age for smear tests – something I feel very passionately about.

“I hope that young women see my story and spot the signs early, to give them more chance of beating this disease.

“I urge all young women to aim for their life goals, dreams or career choices, whether they have faced ill-health or not.”

Sarah, whose son was aged just 10 months when she was diagnosed, had to undergo chemotherapy, brachytherapy and radiotherapy for two months.

Asked whether beating cancer changed her perspective on work and life, she said: “I feel I take everything a little more seriously, I have my life goals in sight and am working towards them all the time. But I also have more fun than ever, my little boy is my number one priority above everything, and I have a large family and plenty of friends surrounding me.”

She said: “Sometimes I can quite easily sit and talk about it like it’s not my story I’m telling, there is not much emotion. Then, sometimes, I can be sitting thinking about it and the emotion comes to me and the memories feel very fresh and new.

“Or an advert comes on the TV and I’m reminded that I was once in that position, and that’s when I feel very lucky.”

Sarah participates in regular fundraising activities through Wealthcare for The Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour Charity, which is the firm’s chosen charity of the year. She is organising ‘superhero’ events for her company to help it hit the fundraising target.

Sarah must still attend three-monthly clinics at The Christie in Manchester to see a nurse or doctor for checks but has generally been in good health, she said, adding that she is thriving in her new role since being promoted to mortgage administrator.

She said: “I feel my knowledge of mortgages is doing so well that I am increasingly comfortable interacting with clients and lenders without the aid of anyone else in the department – I have really grabbed my promotion with both hands and run with it!”

Martin Simons, associate director at Wealthcare, said: “Sarah is a truly inspirational member of the team with a gift of being readily able to engage with clients, which is helping the department as it moves to its next stage of development.

“She’s overcome a debilitating and life-threatening disease and that is due in no small measure to her extremely positive attitude and sense of humour.

“Our Wealthcare culture is all about quality of service, and Sarah is thriving in this environment. It really is a pleasure to have her on board.”