That was the day she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 27 years old.

After much grappling with the decision, she underwent a double mastectomy six weeks later.

The surgery hurt. The cancer was unmasked as 10cms of growth - incredible to Elle since she'd never felt any lump. The reconstrution phase brought a new level of pain and discomfort. But it is the emotional toll that Elle, a former early childhood teacher, struggles with most.

"It's extremely overwhelming and isolating, especially being a young person with breast cancer, because I think poeple expect that you can kind of, once the cancer is removed, get on with life," she said.

"But there's this trauma that comes with diagnosis and surgery and lots of appointments and it's kind of like I'm still in a state of shock. As if I'm still in that day I was diagnosed. It feels a lot like I'm still at that moment. You wake up every day and think, 'has this really happened to me?'."

Elle's mother Maree Pollard and sister Grace Veitch, 25, were at her side throughout her treatment.

Now Elle, whose maternal aunt and four great aunts also had the disease, is determined to do her part to ensure her sister doesn't suffer like she did.

Elle is aiming to raise $10,000 for research into early detection and preventative treatments. She knows her cancer was caused by a gene mutation, but due to the limited amount of testing that can be done, she doesn't know which one caused her disease.

"This money will go straight to resarch into being able to detect a wider range of gene mutations specifically linked to breast cancer," she wrote on her fundraising page.

"Although this may not be able to directly help me now, it could potentially help my sister and our future children through having testing for the same gene and ultimately this could mean they avoid going through what I've gone through, this would be my greatest wish."

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Elle is preparing for reconstructive surgery, a process that began with empty impants being inserted beneath muscle, to be incrementally filled with saline. Shutdowns linked to the coronavirus have prolonged the period she will spend with the uncomfortable expanders.

"It stretches all your muscles out. It moves your ribs. I've never felt anything like it before."

Elle has raised more than $5800 towards her $10,000 goal. Visit the foundation's website to support the fundraising effort.

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