Mum Lynsey does her breast effort
Cancer survivor backs cash appeal
An inspirational mum-of-four who overcame breast cancer has been chosen to help launch in Scotland an urgent new appeal to get life-saving work back on track.
Lynsey Ritchie, from Denny, received messages of support from across the world thanks to her compelling blog during treatment.
She wrote movingly about ordering a boob cake and throwing a ‘Thanks for the mammaries’ party ahead of double mastectomy surgery, in recognition of her breasts’ role in feeding her own children and seven others from her donations to the human milk bank for premature babies.
Now Lynsey, who this July marked the first anniversary of her diagnosis, is determined to help others going through cancer.
She’s supporting Cancer Research UK as it launches an urgent appeal for donations after a devastating loss of funding caused by the Covid-19 outbreak. Following the cancellation of fundraising events like Race for Life, the charity is expecting a staggering £160 million drop in income in the year ahead. As a result, Cancer Research UK has had to make the difficult decision to cut £44 million in research funding – but this is likely to be just the beginning.
Lynsey, 43, said: “I’m loving and living my best life today but what a difference a year makes.
“No words will ever describe the moment I knew I had cancer. It was a huge shock as I was a fit, healthy and active mum of four boys under seven. I rarely drank, didn’t smoke and I was still breastfeeding my baby at diagnosis. I thought I was too young to get cancer.
“The fear of the unknown was horrendous and the waiting was worse than the actual investigations, treatment and operation. Nothing was ever as bad as I feared. Breast cancer took away all control, so I decided to opt for positivity and humour to help me on my way.
“It’s thanks to improved treatments that I’ve been given more precious time with my loved ones. It upsets me to think about research being held up and what this might mean for people affected by cancer in the months and years to come.
“By boosting funding now, we can all help to lessen the future impact on patients.”
Cancer Research UK’S work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has been at the heart of progress that has seen survival in the UK double in the last 40 years. Thanks to the generosity of supporters, the charity currently funds around 50 per cent of all cancer research in the UK and has played a part in developing eight out of 10 of the world’s top cancer drugs.
Lynsey who is mum to Cailean, eight, Brodie, six, Darragh, four, and Odhran, two, knows exactly how vital new breakthroughs and discoveries are.
She was still breastfeeding Odhran when she first visited her GP after noticing pain and a lump under her arm which she hoped at first was a cyst. Hospital tests showed there was also a lump in her breast and on July 3 2019, she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer.
Her husband Neil, a soldier usually based in Belfast, was given compassionate leave so he could be there to support her through treatment and she was surrounded by family and friends when she held the ‘Thank you for the mammaries’ party ahead of surgery on December 20 to remove both breasts.
Lynsey said: “My boobs played a very special role in my life. I’d volunteered as an NHS breast feeding peer supporter to help new mums breastfeed and fed all four of my own boys. My boobs deserved a sendoff but I wasn’t defined by them. I’ve got through thanks to an amazing family and friends – ‘ Team Ritchie’ and a husband who has been by my side, wiped away my tears, carried me when I felt I couldn’t take another step and always believed in me. Now I’m feeling stronger again. My healing is ongoing but I’m proud of my body and how far I’ve come.”
After 15 rounds of radiotherapy, she rang the bell at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow to mark the end of treatment in March – just as the nation went into lockdown.
Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK spokeswoman in Scotland, said: “We’re grateful to Lynsey for helping to underline the stark reality of the current situation.
“Covid-19 has put so much of our research on pause, leaving us facing a crisis where every day and every pound counts.
“Whether people donate, sign up to Race for Life at Home or shop in our stores – with the help of people across Scotland we believe that together we will still beat cancer.”
Donate now at cruk.org/give.