A BREAST cancer survivor from Timperley is sharing her story in a new BBC documentary.

Daniele Atkinson was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33 in 2014 and the BBC asked to shoot a short film of her first haircut since starting chemotherapy.

Daniele’s husband Graeme – who she has been with for 19 years – is a hairdresser and the childhood sweethearts own Air Hairdressing in Altrincham.

The crew filmed the haircut in the salon, with both Daniele and Graeme sharing their experiences.

The documentary, ‘Manchester: First cut since chemo’, forms part of the BBC’s The Salon docu-series, which tells tales from salons across the world.

Daniele’s story aired on BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour in August and has also been aired on BBC World Service.

“It was very odd watching myself,” said Daniele, now 35. “I am quite matter-of-fact about the whole thing and happy talking about it but only really when asked. It surprised and upset a lot of my friends who didn’t know how it had really affected us.”

Daniele said she felt disbelief when first diagnosed. It came as a shock as the cancer was discovered during pre-op tests for routine surgery on an inflamed lymph node.

“I was worried about losing my hair, of needing a mastectomy, of being ‘uneven’ and, for a short time, that I might die,” said the 35-year-old.

One month after being diagnosed, Daniele had treatment to preserve embryos and started chemotherapy in September 2014. She finished chemotherapy in February 2015 and this was followed by a round of radiotherapy.

In the film, Daniele reflects on losing her hair, a daunting experience as her hair had become part of her identity being married to a stylist.

Graham also shares what he went through when his partner was diagnosed with cancer.

“I couldn’t imagine myself being in the salon and the conversations I would have; the trivia,” Graham said in the film.

“Someone complaining I had left their fringe a little longer than last time and it just felt like nonsense; you really want to say to that person, ‘You know my wife is sat at home with no hair at all’.”

But the three-minute emotional film ends on a positive note, with Daniele reflecting on how it has changed her perspective on life.

“It has made me a lot more laid back,” she said. “It has changed my views on a lot of things; I am a lot less judgemental. I can enjoy things I didn’t notice before; I love being outside and being in nature and even bad weather, I like being out in the rain, looking at trees, I love feeling the grass under my feet.

“You don’t appreciate what you have got until you lose it, then you realise how important it was to you at the time. You can’t give someone else that knowledge or experience.”

Click here to watch ‘Manchester: First cut since chemo’.  Read Daniele's blog detailing her journey; click here.