This is the fundraising page for the Breast Care Unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

As October is Breast Care Awareness Month we are featuring a story by 84 year old cancer survivor Marion, who is an inspiration!

Please read her story. Your donation towards the new Vacuum Biopsy Equipment we are looking to purchase for our hospital will help us to get to our target more quickly. Thank you!

Marion's Story

Unless you have experienced it, it’s hard to imagine how you would feel if you were given the diagnosis that you had breast cancer. Twenty three years ago Marion Samuel, who now lives in Little Sutton, was on holiday in her home town in the Ronda Valley, South Wales, when she was taken in to East Glamorgan hospital near Cardiff suffering from a serious asthma attack. She underwent treatment and whilst recovering noticed a lump at the top of her right breast. After a biopsy had been taken, doctors agreed that there was some cause for concern, but had to wait until Marion’s asthma was settled enough for her to undergo surgery, and at that point a lumpectomy was performed. “I remember having to wait 5 days before I got the results to confirm that the lump was malignant, meaning that I had cancer. The doctors were recommending a total radical mastectomy. It was a shock, and the few days I spent waiting for the surgery were very difficult.” Lots of questions went through my mind. Was this a death sentence? Would I recover? Would I need further treatment? How would it look and feel with only one breast?” Although Marion reasoned with herself that everybody in this situation must have similar thoughts, she still found it a very scary and upsetting time.

“After my surgery I woke up to find myself in the High Dependency ward and from the minute I was awake, my only thought was that my cancer had been taken away. It was gone. I convinced myself that all would be well and from that moment on, I have never looked back” she added. As soon as she felt well enough Marion decided she would help to raise money for breast cancer charities which she has done now in the Ellesmere Port area for many years, something that she has thoroughly enjoyed and has found really rewarding. Marion is convinced that doing this has not only helped others but has been a tremendous way to help her to feel better about herself. “It’s a two way street” she said. Marion was 61 at the start of her journey through cancer and feel s that at 84 years young and still going strong, that she is living proof that people can, and do, recover after a cancer diagnosis and can go on to lead a full life. “Far more people survive than not, and that thought has helped me to stay positive all the way through.” she added.

Marion, was born in 1929 and is the youngest of 8 children. She moved to Ellesmere Port in 1955, was married to husband Teifion John for 63 years before he passed away on Boxing Day last year. “Earlier this year my daughter Caron bought me a ‘Makeover and Photoshoot’ as a Mother’s Day gift. My initial reaction was‘I am too old for that’. However, I was persuaded to go along to Jayne Briscoe-Price Photography who have a studio just outside Chester. Jaine had been told that I love bright colours and she set up the photo shoot using turquoise material, one of my favourite colours. I was absolutely thrilled with the photographs when I saw them and I want other ladies to appreciate that you can still look and feel feminine if you have lost one or both breasts.

Marion has supported a range of breast cancer charities and has organised jumble sales and raffles, taken part in a Fashion Show at the Duke of Westminster’s Estate and when she was 63 she abseiled down the Council buildings in Ellesmere Port to raise funds for Imperial Cancer Research. “I don’t know how I managed that as I am frightened to look of my bedroom window and that is nothing like the height I scaled for the abseil” she said. She has also given up her time on many occasions to talk to others who have been diagnosed with breast cancer to try and help them come to terms with their diagnosis and to stay positive. “I stood on several occasions in Boots and The Body Shop asking ladies what they would do if they found a lump in their breast. I do everything I can to raise awareness of the importance of checking your breasts regularly. That’s why I am happy to feature in this article. I want people during Breast Cancer Awareness month to pledge to make regular checks. I also hope that from reading my story people will be encouraged to find a way become more positive, no matter what life throws at them.” Marion is also hoping that people reading her story might be motivated to make a donation to a current fundraising project at The Countess to provide some extra equipment for the breast care unit. The charity is looking to purchase state of the art equipment to use in vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. The kit currently used requires multiple insertions to obtain sufficient material for initial diagnosis. With the proposed new equipment the needle actually stays in position in the breast and the machine automatically obtains multiple tissue samples making the procedure easier and less time consuming for the patient. The target is to raise £65,000.

Donations can be sent by cheque payable to COCH Charitable funds (Breast Care Trust Fund) or made by debit or credit card over the phone on 01244 366240.

Head of Fundraising at The Countess, Janet Ratcliffe first met Marion about 13 years ago during a fundraising appeal to raise £1million to build a new breast care unit at the hospital. “Marion was always an active fundraiser and got involved in a wide range of activities for that appeal including organising several very successful line dancing events, which at the age of 71 was extremely impressive. Marion is such an inspiration and everybody who meets her cannot fail to feel better after spending just a short time in her company. I have often said if you could bottle and sell her positive approach, energy, enthusiasm and zest for life you would make a fortune”. Janet added “In 1993 Marion was given the ‘Ellesmere Port Woman of the Year Award in the Chester Chronicle/Manweb Community Awards Programme, and I am not surprised. It was a very fitting tribute to her”.

Marion concluded “I come from very humble beginnings in South Wales and throughout my life there have been several times where I have experienced real poverty. I had a tough start in life. My Dad died when I was just 10 years old and my brother died at 20 from a brain tumour whilst serving in the Air Force My parents had a really hard life but they taught all their children to live a good, honest life. I now have 2 daughters, 4 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren of whom I am very proud. I feel blessed that I have been given the gift of optimism. However difficult something is, I always manage to stay positive. Sometimes it is hard to remember just how terrifying it was to hear those words ‘You have breast cancer’. That was 23 years ago now and although cancer does change your life, I have found that many of those changes have been positive ones for me. After a lot of difficulties in my life including suffering badly from OCD I decided that cancer could either be the last straw or a stepping stone to something better. I chose the latter path and I can honestly say it has shaped the person I am now. I would love to live long enough to see a cure for cancer. I feel really passionate about it and I do believe it will happen one day. When my time comes I want to be able to think that because of what I have been through, I have helped to make a difference to somebody else’s life.”