'Having cancer inspired me to become a paramedic'

Katherine Murrell is an "inspiration" to her London Ambulance Service team

A woman who had cancer three times was inspired to train as a paramedic while being rushed to hospital in an ambulance.

Katherine Murrell, from Tonbridge, was diagnosed with stage four B-cell lymphoma at the age of 16. She recovered, only to face the disease twice more, surviving thyroid then breast cancer.

It was in the back of an ambulance, being taken to hospital for a pulmonary embolism, that she decided that if she survived, she would apply to join the ambulance service.

Katherine, now 28 and training with the London Ambulance Service, said: "The treatment and the support that those guys gave me just gave me that motivation to know that was definitely the right career for me."

Katherine has survived cancer three times

She already works as an emergency medical technician and is now on the paramedic apprenticeship programme.

Katherine said: "What happened gives me that little element of being able to help them, that little bit extra, because I've had that experience myself and I can absolutely relate."

Katherine and her team say "reassuring patients" is a huge part of their job

Her manager Tim Parfett said: "Katherine is quite a big personality and she's a very valued member of our team.

"At the outset I would never have guessed at what she'd gone through and that's a testament to anyone that does this job role."