DON'T TELL ME I CAN'T……become an inventor

Even at her lowest ebb, Cody Gapare wanted

- EMMA ROSSITER

Walking down the beauty aisle in Boots a few months back, I could see endless successful brands – one of them is the product I invented, my beautifully packaged C-Lashes. It’s a sight I’ll never take for granted because, although the move into beauty wasn’t one I’d ever planned for or dreamed of, after years of hard work, my product has earned its place on that shelf – and it’s the most incredible feeling.

My hand had first brushed over the lump in my right breast as I dressed for work as an analyst one morning in July 2014. Worried, I went straight to see my GP, who, after feeling the lump, referred me to Leighton Hospital in Crewe. I’d convinced myself it’d be something minor, like a cyst, so when the specialist confirmed I had stage-two breast cancer, I was terrified.