Congratulations to Maeliosa Hardy, from Ballymena, who has won the incredible pink cubic zirconia sterling silver necklace and earring set (worth £260) kindly donated by Jack Murphy Jewellers as part of our Support Your Girls campaign! We hope you get a great deal of pleasure from wearing it.
Jack Murphy Jewellers (JMJ) partnered with us during October and helped us promote our breast cancer awareness Support Your Girls campaign. The generous team also pitched in and fundraised for us by holding a successful ‘wear pink to work’ day – all carefully social distanced of course.
THANKS
Covid has been a terribly difficult time for our charity and we are struggling to raise enough funds to continue with our vital work supporting cancer patients and their families all over Northern Ireland. So, we’re particularly grateful to businesses like JMJ who pull out all the stops to help us.
Further thanks to all those amazing ladies who held a girls' night in as part of our Support Your Girls campaign. We truly appreciate your support and love that you got that extra bit creative with your fundraisers to fit in with the changing government guidelines and to everyone who made a donation to this important cause. Thank you all!
THE FIGURES
One in ten women in Northern Ireland are diagnosed with breast cancer, the most common cancer in women*. That is a huge number of women who live right here in our community – our mums, grandmothers, sister, aunts and friends. That is why supporting them is so important to us. (insert pic of our poster campaign)
The Cancer Focus NI Support Your Girls campaign also highlights the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and stresses the importance of checking your breasts regularly.
Radio presenter and fashionista Rebecca McKinney presents this open and frank video on the best way to check your breasts which we think every woman should see. Our stand-out messages include - check yourself regularly and go to your doctor if you have any concerns. Early diagnosis saves lives!
Check out our video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GM7vMKxDVE
WHAT THE WOMEN SAY
The sky fell in for Lisburn mum of two Shauna Lawson when she was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year. This is what she has to say:
“I think a new service for young women with this devastating disease is an inspirational idea. The impact of a cancer diagnosis on your mental health is something horrendous, it’s a roundabout of emotions.
“Young women have their own special set of problems to face and may have young children to look after during their illness. It would be excellent for them to have access to experienced professionals who can answer their many questions. It’s also fantastic to have women your own age and in similar circumstances to talk to in confidence. This would be such an invaluable service. Having a support group for women, like the one Cancer Focus NI is planning, may be a lifeline, you just don’t know.”
Read Shauna’s full story here.
You can also read Yvonne Alderdice’s story here.
UNIQUE SUPPORT GROUP
This year our Support Your Girls campaign helped raise funds for a unique new service for young women with breast cancer.
We know that there is a great need for more support among younger women who have been diagnosed. These young women are at a stage in their lives where they may be making big life choices, such as marriage and starting a family. A breast cancer diagnosis can dramatically change all their hopes and plans for the future.
Our new service will give them a chance to speak to experts on a wide range of subjects such as infertility, sexual relationships, and, if they have children, how best to prepare them for what lies ahead. It’s also important to be able to speak to other women who understand exactly what you are going through in confidence.
It is vital we have the best possible support in place for these women, especially now when there are so many other stresses and difficulties in life because of Covid.
Thank you all for your help, we can’t do it without you!
The Cancer Focus NI Team
*Excluding non-melanoma skin cancer