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Henny Jones was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and after surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy it was hoped she was cancer free. In 2013, she began to experience back ache but did not realise it could be cancer related. After months of developing pain, in May 2014 she woke one morning to find that her legs had gone numb; the cancer had spread to her spine and was causing spinal cord compression. Luckily, radiotherapy was effective and she was walking normally again within 3 months. She had a further 2 years of very precious life but died on 16th June 2016. 

There are many breast cancer success stories and everyone wants a positive outcome for anyone affected by cancer. Henny was concerned that the emphasis in many respects is put on the treatment and outcomes for primary breast cancer even though about 30 per cent of people go on at some point in their lives to develop advanced cancer in other parts of their body following the initial diagnosis and treatment of primary breast cancer. 

The treatment that received greatly helped her live an almost normal life for a further 2 years, but when life takes on short timescales, each day has so much value. One issue for cancer drugs is the ability of cancers to become resistant to them but new developments and drug trials are taking place.Henny took part in a drugs trial in the last months of her life. There are real funding problems for new drugs which might greatly improve outcomes. 

She was also keen for there to be increased awareness of the symptoms of advanced beast cancer and the collecting of accurate statistics about death from advanced breast cancer. 

Hope is essential for anyone suffering from cancer and Henny kept on hoping until the last few days of her life.

The charity Second Hope was set up to provide hope and strength by raising awareness, providing support, campaigning and funding research into advanced breast cancer. Henny was a keen supporter. Now part of Breast Cancer Now,  every donation to Second Hope through Breast Cancer Now will only be spent on funding research into secondary breast cancer.