About Breast Cancer Care

Breast Cancer Care is here for anyone affected by breast cancer.  We bring people together, provide information and support, and campaign for improved standards of care.

We use our understanding of peoples’ experience of breast cancer and our clinical expertise in everything we do.

Visit www.breastcancercare.org.uk or call our free helpline on 0808 800 6000

Support Breast Cancer Care's entry in the Round the Island Race 2009.

Team Breast Cancer Care is competing in this year’s JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race on June 20th.

The race will include 50 boats from around the world, but four very special boats will be competing in the Charity Challenge.  Macmillan Cancer Support, Prostate UK, The Ellen MacArthur Trust and Breast Cancer Care will all be pitting against each other to be the winning charity for 2009..

The charities will each compete in identical Oceanis 37s, courtesy of race partner Bénéteau. Each charity boat will be crewed by individuals who wish to represent and fundraise for the chosen charities. A professional skipper and crew members will also be onboard to show them the ropes.

The Breast Cancer Care boat will see the following people join the crew:


Crew Member :
Jonathan Ansell -  Celebrity Sailor
www.jonathanansell.com

Singer Jonathan Ansell will be sailing in the Round the Island Race for Challenge Breast Cancer Care, his support for the charity started when he lost his Aunt to the disease, Breast Cancer Care are the leading provider of breast cancer information and support across the UK.

Jonathan says
"I’m very much looking forward to raising awareness of breast cancer and Breast Cancer Care.  My aunt Brenda had breast cancer so I know only too well how important it is to receive relevant, reliable and up-to-date clinical and emotional support and information.  I have only sailed on toppers as a youngster so my sailing experience is going to be put under pressure but hopefully we can be the first charity challenge boat to finish”

Jonathan holds the crown as Britain’s most popular and successful young tenor. It is just a year since the charismatic young singer with the sensational voice - the star of G4, the X Factor pop opera group - started to carve out his solo career.

His exceptional voice, which combines the virtuosity of his classical training with the power and passion of his interpretation, has thrilled vast audiences, won him countless new fans and made him a huge solo star.

In February 2008, his first solo album, Tenor At The Movies, went straight to No 1 in the classical charts, hit Top 10 in the pop album charts, and made him the youngest ever tenor to top the classical charts. From November 2008 he has been getting his thrills on-stage instead, starring in A Night At The Opera show tour.

Crew Member :
Andy Massey

One of the first crew positions to be confirmed is Andy Massey.

In 2008 Andy and his wife Louise completed the race for Breast Cancer Care raising nearly £5,000. It was a courageous and poignant story as Louise finished the race despite having recently undergone rigorous chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer.  Sadly Louise passed away a few weeks later, Andy is determined to compete again in her memory and raise funds for a charity close to his heart.

Andy said
“It will definitely be an emotional race, in fact I was in two minds whether to take part this year, but then I had a think about Louise, and I just know she would have jumped at the chance. It will bring back great memories of last year when Louise was smiling all the way round, and to be able to raise funds at the same time is fantastic”

Crew Member
Louise Rall – Charity Sailor
Lousie was first diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2004 aged 31 and 8 months pregnant! Shortly after diagnosis, she had a little boy Ben, but was soon back in to hospital to face two operations resulting in a mastectomy. During this time Breast Cancer Care provided her with all the information she needed.  She used the online discussion forums and attended a Younger Women’s Forum where she met other young women with breast cancer and had the chance to discuss issues and concerns pertinent to them.

These events gave Lou the opportunity to reflect, set new goals and also find out about how to look after herself to aid recovery and good future health.

In November 2007 bone, CT and MRI scans revealed Lou had secondary breast cancer.  Translated that meant the cancer had returned, this time in her spine, hip and ribs.  It could be treated but was no longer curable. The implications for this are obviously far greater. During this devastating time, Breast Cancer Care was there for her again. The discussion forums offered her support and information from other people who were dealing with similar diagnoses.  It gave her hope to discover that women live with cancer in their bones for quite some time and she was able to establish that my life could still go on. It is obviously her mission to be Mum for Ben for as long as possible.

In 2008, it was time to pay back Breast Cancer Care for the support.  Lou signed up to take part in the Breast Cancer Care Ribbon Walk. Lou recruited a team of eight friends and raised over £5000!, to help Breast Cancer Care continue their amazing work. Lou is now looking forward to the challenge of sailing for Breast Cancer Care in the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.  

Louise says “The opportunity to join the Breast Cancer Care boat and race around the Island is just the challenge I need for 2009. Hormone therapy kept my cancer under control for a year but it is active again.  I have just started my second course of chemotherapy and will be undergoing treatment during the event. To have this as a goal will spur me on to keep fit and cope with my treatment. I am determined that this will not stand in my way of enjoying the whole experience, including hands on work on the boat! ...........having Rachel join me on the boat is also an honour. Who would have believed that two out of eight mums in our 'NCT baby group' would have been diagnosed with breast cancer? We have been there for each other and what better chance to take time out together and celebrate the fact that we are dealing with such a devastating disease in the best way possible to ensure that we can lead as normal a life possible for the sake of our young families. We have to live for the moment and exciting times like this are a bonus. We are also hoping that sharing our stories will help further raise awareness of breast cancer in younger women. I know that Breast Cancer Care will be there for me in the future. I can see how Breast Cancer Care supports so many in facing what this disease brings. It is a crucial life line to many who are facing diagnosis, treatment and tackling living with the disease and beyond".

Crew Member
Rachel Brady – Charity Sailor
In 2006 Rachel found a lump in her breast which both her GP and Consultant were 99% sure was benign.  In February 2007, after the routine investigations and a biopsy it was a real shock to find out it was cancerous.  In March 2007 Rachel was lucky enough to get away with having a lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy and 6 weeks later she started on 8 cycles of chemotherapy which finished in October, followed a little later by 5 weeks of radiotherapy which finished just before Christmas.  Rachel’s cancer was not hormone sensitive so her treatment has not been followed up by any hormone treatment such as Tamoxifen, so she now lives in hope that this is the end of cancer.

Rachel says “Since having breast cancer, I have become very aware of just how many people suffer from it, including lots of younger women, and raising awareness of this disease is really important as well as the ongoing research into improving treatments and cures for cancer.    This prompted me into taking part in the Breast Cancer Care Ribbon Walk which raised a huge sum.  The instigator of this team was Lou who is also doing the Round the Island Race on the Breast Cancer Care boat.  I met Lou before either of us had breast cancer, through an antenatal group.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 years before me.  She was a particularly special and important friend to have around because she was part of our baby group, at a similar point in life, and had already been there.  Unfortunately her cancer has returned but the way she deals with it is a total inspiration and I feel humbled to be sailing on this boat with her”

Crew Member
Jeremy Young – Charity Sailor
Jeremy’s sister sadly died from breast cancer last year. He is a keen sailor and mainly sails on the east coast. He is also a professional photographer and is hoping to take some good photos from the boat for Breast Cancer Care. He is completely fine to do any press work and is very excited about the event!

Please kindly donate and help the crew raise as much money as possible for this brilliant charity

If you would like any more information please contact dan.wilkinson@intotheblue.biz