In 2013, Tracie Mills, the founder of Arden Angels was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and started the path of intense chemotherapy, following with a double mastectomy, all under the superb care of the Oncology and Breast Care teams based at the UHCW Hospital in Coventry and subsequently The Maple Unit at Rugby, St.Cross. Her dream started as raising £1000 for one new chemotherapy chair for the Arden Centre in Coventry where she had been receiving treatment, she wanted to give something back for the care and support she had received during such a difficult time and many friends and family jumped on board and for the past 6 years, Tracie has been spurring on the public, local businesses and anyone else who would listen, to help, support and fundraise for her charity and the kindness and generosity of our local community was second to none and this is where the Arden Angels became the ladies, gents and children in pink who could be seen everywhere and anywhere doing whatever they could to raise vital funds. Impressed by support, Tracie decided to further her target to £10,000, then it was £50,000 and as we stand today her target was £100,000, Tracie and the girls smashed this target with the massively successful "Strictly Pink" event in June 2023 and the new total currently stands at a staggering £130,000. Tracie refuses to raise her target, she says what has been raised is outstanding and every single penny we receive now is a bonus. Every single £1 matters and is received gratefully and will make a difference to the future of cancer patients and their care. She will make sure of it.

With a life expectancy of 5 years at initial diagnosis in 2013 we are thrilled to say with a fight, 11 yrs on she is still here, still pushing, still fighting and still nagging and although it has not been an easy path for her and the past year in particular, incredibly difficult. Tracie was told just before the COV-19 Pandemic that she was now terminal and in Palliative Care as the disease had returned and invaded muscles and the chest wall and most recently invaded her lungs and with one viable chemotherapy left available to her, which she has now finished receiving at the new purpose built Maple Unit at Rugby St.Cross Hospital. Her last treatment was on 9th July, 2024. Tracie has no treatment options available through the NHS and has spent the past few months reaching out to Trial Units across the UK desperately trying to find something suitable and to willingly become a guinea pig to just give her more time. She may be hanging by a thread with a very poor life expectancy of less than 12 months. She is still determined and lives in hope of finding something suitable.

Arden Angels have been fortunate in being part of bringing Cancer Services to Rugby and in Autumn 2022 were able to donate £30,000 to bringing Breast Services to Rugby for all in our community able to feel the benefit of both chemotherapy and breast clinic services and back in 2019 we were able to provide the Arden Centre at Coventry with not one but twenty plus chemotherapy chairs for patients at a cost of over £20,000.

Tracie and the Angels were awarded the Kings Award for Voluntary Service in May 2024 and subsequently were nominated for the BBC "Make A Difference Award " during the summer.

Fundraising this year has included an inflatable 5k Fun Run by Julie Webster and friends, the annual and amazing Rugby Treasure Hunt, our monthly Bingo at The Webb and most recently we had "Sams Cookies" whereby people donated the price of a cookie in tribute an honour of our fallen angel "Sam Pooler". This raised an incredible £1600 across 48 hours. Our biggest fundraising amount event in just 48 hours. Sam was a massive part of Tracie's life over the past year they united in a unique friendship whilst fighting for their lives and supporting each other. Her loss has had a massive impact on all that knew her and will never be forgotten.

We have also said farewell to our very much loved landlords of our "Home of the Angels" Karen and Derek. Lisa has now taken over the pub and shows continued support of Arden Angels and we continue with the monthly Bingo which keeps us ticking along month to month.

We will continue to fundraise and support in any way we can to support the community of Cancer Care in Rugby and Coventry and Warwickshire.

We have next to none overheads and the support of people and local businesses in Rugby and Coventry carry us through and we are proud to say that every single penny raised goes direct into our fundraising pot held by UHCW Charity and we decide where every single penny goes and how it is spent.

Our intention is to run another "Strictly Pink" event in 2025, where 12 contestants take on the huge task of learning to dance with the support and kindness of Jackie Fallon, her family and her incredible team of experienced dancers from Your Time To Dance in Coventry. The night was spectacular in 2023, packed to the rafters and we raised a stupendous £23,000 during the 8 week period. The demand for a re-run is high. Please look out for news and recruitment on our FB page in the near future. We hope to repeat this event on a bi-annual basis.

UPDATE - Strictly Pink - Dancing for Sam is well underway now and we are 3 weeks from "SHOWTIME", the contestants are doing amazing and all enjoying themselves, some threatening to continue dancing. Their target collectively is 12k. We have no doubt they will succeed in their commitments to fundraising.

The "Tracie Mills Inspirational Fundraiser Award" - UHCW prestigious OSCAs Award Ceremony is now in place, this award was renamed in tribute to Tracie for all her efforts over the past 6 years, an overwhelming achievement and honour to add to her list so far.

Tracie lives on in hope that the legacy of Arden Angels continues for many years to come and continues to help the future of Cancer in Rugby and Coventry long after she is gone and things are now in place for this to continue with the recruitment of an Admin Team since Tracie has become more poorly. Nickie, Rebecca and Mand are running with it and holding the reigns and doing a wonderful job. Tracie is obviously in the loop and trying to maintain a huge input where she can, Tracie is a self admitted control freak and perfectionist but knows they will continue in her own unique style.

After some months of headaches and neck pain, Tracie started having deep tissue sports massages and saw a chiropractor in October 2024 under the belief she was suffering with stress and tension headaches. This continued to a point where the sports masseur was concerned and asked her to speak to her Oncologist and get a fresh scan as she was concerned she was not relieving the pain.

Sadly, in February of 2025 the scan revealed in 48 hours that the cancer had spread to Tracie's brain and she had a 5cm brain tumour in the right, front lobe area of her brain and we were in trouble with no available treatments and it being the brain. A craniotomy was not an option as the recovery from brain surgery would expect to be longer than she had to live. This was a devastating time for Tracie and her wife and children and with no treatment was given an expectancy of 4 to 6 weeks left of life. Her wonderful consultant Lucy McAvan spoke with a Brain Specialist - Joy Chang and discussed Tracie's case. She felt if she pursued an intense 5 fraction course of VMAT Brain Radiotherapy she may be able to hold growth for a few more weeks, however, the side effects of this held huge risks in a possible brain bleed, stroke, non-verbal and other serious side effects. Initially Tracie was scared to take this risk and tried to get her head round settling for the end of life and getting her affairs in order. After a couple of weeks of what she calls "putting herself on the naughty step" where she re-evaluates and finds her big girl pants! of course she changed her mind and took the risks, quoting she has been taking risks for 11 years and she may as well take this one but be prepared it may not go to plan. Incoming 5 days of brain radiotherapy the following week. She did it, she opened her heart on Facebook on the Angels page and of course she smashed it, completed it and shared with everyone her heart of diaries of the past 11 years. Then the side effects hit her hard and she remained weak, feeble and in bed for 3 or 4 weeks being cared for by her family and Rugby Myton Palliative Care Team, in her words, this is it, my time is up.

Today is 27th April, 2025, the brain tumour Billy was diagnosed on 18th February, 2025 and YES she is still here and still refusing to give up, determined to make SHOWTIME on 17th May, 2025 and celebrate her 55th birthday on the same day in honour of her beautiful friend Sam Pooler.

We do not know how long we have her for now, we hope she proves everyone wrong and we get months from risking this radiotherapy, the reality is that it will not be months and we are all now aware that things can change very quickly, in hours or days sometimes and in normal circumstances at EOL it is the heart that is required to give up first. In Tracie's instance because of the brain it will be the lack of Oxygen to the brain that may end her life very quickly if Billy grows. We continue to live in hope and prayer that we can have her for as long as possible.

Cancer is a devastating disease, not only for the patient but for the family and friends involved. It turns lives upside down and changes the patient dramatically, treatment is debilitating and this can have a huge impact on the patient and all that love them.

Tracie of course has much to say and her final few words in updating this story remain mainly unchanged "I am still here fighting the good fight, days are much harder than ever before, life just keeps throwing unbearable curve balls, they knock you down, the important thing is how you get back up. Arden Angels has never been and will never be a ME, it has always been a WE, their will never be enough words for me to thank you every supporter and donator from the bottom of my heart and I am truly grateful for every penny that has, is and will make a difference in the future of patients and their loved ones and I assure you I will go down fighting and continue with the tenacity and sheer determination that I always have, I have beautiful friends waiting for me and ready to dance with ducks in the fast lane of heaven and I have will have never given up the fight, cancer wins eventually and at some point I know it will win with me. I will be dancing with ducks on the other side of the stars, I will dance with you one day, much love!" xx

If you have any fundraising ideas or would like to join the team of Angels (Male/Female or Child) we will always welcome your support, please be sure to get in touch.

Thank you so much for your continued support and pennies and pounds donated, it means the world to us and Tracie is so proud of the legacy it leaves. It all makes a difference and will make changes now and in the future to Rugby's Maple Unit and Coventry's Arden Centre.

Nickie, Tracie, Rebecca and Mand

xxxx

Please contact us :-

millsey@live.co.uk

nickie149@me.com or via our

Facebook/Instagram Arden Angels to get involved or support.

Thank you for reading and donating.

ANGEL LOVE xx

2025 University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Charity. Registered charity in England and Wales, number: 1165393.

Tracie currently runs her AA under the UHCW Umbrella very successfully, Tracie has the final decisions on where all monies are used and spent. This will remain long after her passing and we can clarify nothing will change.

WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. ✅