ALI Bastian has shared an emotional update after finishing her cancer treatment — revealing she is now cancer-free following a successful mastectomy.
The former Hollyoaks actress was diagnosed with breast cancer last year after discovering a lump she initially thought was a blocked milk duct while breastfeeding her youngest child.
Ali, who played Becca Dean on the Channel 4 soap, was told in June that she had stage 2 breast cancer.
She has now shared an incredible update on social media, thanking her medical team and fans for their unwavering support.
She wrote: "Thank you so much for all your birthday messages last week, I'm honestly so grateful for all the love and support from my little corner of social media.
"I wanted to update you all. I'm on to my final week of radiotherapy, which should mark the end of my active treatment — I hope and pray for good!
"I had my mastectomy in January, which was thankfully a success and has healed really well. It proved that my chemo had worked.
"As I sit here right now, I'm free from cancer. I can't even believe it."
Ali went on to praise the "incredible" team at Cork University Hospital who cared for her throughout her treatment, from her consultants to the oncology nurses who offered comfort during her most difficult moments.
She said: "The nurses have given me compassion, time, and space to share and talk about my experience of a very challenging treatment pathway — one that, although we thank God exists, is not only a lot for the body to process but an awful lot to process mentally and emotionally."
She also gave a heartfelt shoutout to a staff member called Stef who serves tea to chemo patients, adding: "You make an incredible difference to a lonely journey."
She went on: "To be coming out of the other side of this feels unreal.
"After the shock of a diagnosis, it's hard to let in the light and believe that it might just be OK.
"The road back to my life won't be a linear one… and I will share with you, as always, as much of my truth of this experience as I can.
"I am so, so grateful for all of your support. People with cancer, experiencing cancer treatment, need love. Full stop. Unconditional, arms-around-you love and support."
Ali ended her post with a heartfelt message, saying: "When it's dark, look for stars."
Fans and friends flooded her comments with messages of love and congratulations.
Blue singer Duncan James penned: "Sending u all the love," as her former Hollyoaks co-star Sarah Jayne Dunn said: "You are incredible."
Ali has undergone 16 rounds of chemotherapy and lost her hair through treatment.
She said she was in "total shock" when she was first diagnosed.
Doctors initially thought it was a blocked duct and prescribed anti- biotics for mastitis.
Ali had returned to breastfeeding youngest daughter Izzy, now two, through the night and assumed that was why her boobs were sore.
But the pain did not go away and tests revealed cancer.
The diagnosis upended her idyllic life with husband David O'Mahony, 42, a writer, director and actor, and their two little girls, Izzy and elder sister Isla, four.
"I'm so relieved I found the lump when I did," Ali told The Sun in November.
"Pregnancy and breastfeeding are sensitive times for women, and we're not exempt from needing to check our breasts during this time.
"If there's anything that doesn't feel right, get it checked. I'll do anything I can to raise awareness for women to check their breasts."
On diagnosis, Ali was advised to stop breastfeeding and did so over the weeks before chemo started.
She says: "Although it was an abrupt end to our breastfeeding journey, Izzy handled it really well.
"Looking back, I was probably ready, thankfully. I knew it was the first step to moving towards treatment so I focused on dropping feeds one by one."
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