Welcome to my fundraising page for CoppaFeel! 

In September 2019 I was diagnosed with secondary/incurable breast cancer aged 36. I have two small children who were 5 and 3 at the time. 

Something I wasn’t prepared for upon my diagnosis was grieving the loss of my old self. The girl/woman that walked into the consultation room that day never walked out. I have spent months since then looking at photographs and not recognising the girl/woman smiling back at me.

Taking part in the Coppafeel trek in the Scottish Highlands last year was the first time I had felt truly alive since my diagnosis. More importantly, it was the first time I caught a glimpse of who I once was. Carefree and happy. Putting one foot in front of the other with purpose offered me therapy for the years of grief and upset. Supporting others became a focus and hearing other people’s stories meant I spent less time in my head and more time in the present.

Fundraising for Coppafeel gave me a focus and purpose. I found an energy and passion I worried I had lost and I threw everything into raising awareness and funds for the charity. So much so that I have continued to be completely open about my diagnosis in the hope that it will encourage others to check themselves, to know their normal, to be aware of symptoms to look out for and to advocate for their own health. I checked myself regularly. I had been checked. But my story is like so many others in that I was turned away and told I was too young, had no family history and no other risk factors, hormonal changes, dense breasts, just had children etc. I now shout my story from the rooftops so that others might push for answers and potentially save their life.

Whilst I feel greedy applying to trek again (I mean I have already had one completely life changing life affirming experience) I am so passionate about raising awareness for the charity and funds to help Coppafeel to continue it’s important work, that I want to continue to do all I can to help save lives.

I would also reiterate what I said in my initial application, that in applying to do a Coppafeel with Gi I am forcing myself to be brave. I am committing to something in the future (2-3 scans away) and choosing to believe that I will be here and capable of completing the challenge. I am on treatment for life but continue to be stable on my existing treatment and my health is good. I want to continue to push myself whilst I can, to experience things I wouldn’t otherwise have done before cancer waltzed into my life.

So much of Kris’ book spoke to me in particular - “I want people to see me as a woman on a mission, not the poor (bald) girl with cancer”.

My missions remains to:

* to raise awareness of breast cancer in young people;

* to empower everyone to know your normal and if something seems off of changes to get checked; 

* to show my fellow secondary brothers and sisters that our life is not over yet. We can have cancer and still live whilst we are alive; and

* to encourage everyone to live a full life doing things they love. Push yourself out of your comfort zone because what happens next could be amazing!

So this November I will set out on a challenging, extraordinary and life-changing trek, all in the name of checking chests! What is even more exciting is that I will be taking on this challenge with my sister, Abby. How special to be able to do this together! 

We are taking on 100km of Morocco's forbidding Sahara Desert in a bid to raise vital funds towards our life-saving mission.Your donations will not only support our fundraising target, but most importantly CoppaFeel!. They are a charity on a mission to stamp out the late diagnosis of breast cancer by making sure that young people are regularly checking their boobs, pecs and chests and getting to know their bodies in order to have the confidence to see their GP if something just doesn't feel normal. Thanks so much for your donation & support. To find out more about CoppaFeel! head to www.coppafeel.org.