From Corinna - mum of Zac (QB/WR) and wife of Coach Wes.

The last 8 months of my life have certainly not been what I expected. I wasn't expecting to receive a diagnosis of breast cancer in October 2024. I wasn't expecting to have to go through over 4 months of chemotherapy, then surgery and 3 weeks of radiotherapy. I wasn't expecting to not feel like myself anymore and to face a new 'normal'. I wasn't expecting to have to embrace very white crew cut hair because the hot flushes make it too hard to keep wearing a head covering. I wasn't expecting for it to take so long to try and get back a little bit of 'me' again and be back doing all the things I love.

The other thing I wasn't expecting were my family and friends to be as supportive as they have been, I have really felt the love from far and wide through my journey and it has carried me through every step of the way. I have tried to keep upbeat and positive which is much easier when you keep receiving such lovely words of encouragement, so thank you to all who have boosted me up so much.

The one thing I have taken away from this is that cancer can strike anyone at any time. I do not have a family history of cancer, it came out of nowhere and only a routine home check, which I thought was nothing, turned out to be something. My message to all though is don't be afraid to go and seek medical help. Hearing those fated words 'you have cancer' wasn't as scary as I thought it would be as it was quickly followed by 'it's completely survivable'. I was really lucky to have had my treatment privately, but I know the NHS also do an amazing job at supporting people through their cancer journey. The key is early detection so don't put off those self checks or thinking about any changes in your body.

As expected, my Facebook page was soon full of breast cancer information, but one that stood out to me was Breast Cancer Now. Some of the research they are doing really resonated with me through my journey, which is why I have selected them for fundraising.

The plan is to dedicate the last game of the season for the Colchester Gladiators American Football Team (a team that my husband coaches for and both my sons are playing/have played for) to fundraising for the charity. We will be encouraging all the players to 'wear something pink', whether that's a sweat band, socks or underlayers, for which they will be 'fined'! We will also have a cake stand and I will be selling some fun crocheted bag charms/keyrings (a skill I developed through my cancer journey!) However, if you can't come to the game on Sunday 20th July (I will post more details about the game on my Facebook page), any donations would be gratefully received!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.