A fundraiser launched in the name of a mum-of-three with incurable cancer has coined in a whopping £25,000 for charity.
Hearts and Hope 4 Helen (H&H4H) was launched for Helen Crawford, 40, from Girvan, who was diagnosed with incurable secondary breast cancer just days before Christmas last year.
RAF nurse Helen was first diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2014 before being diagnosed with breast cancer a year later in 2015.
Helen and her family then received the devastating news in December 2021 that incurable cancer had returned.
The H&H4H fundraiser was launched to help Helen with the financial pressures of life with cancer and for her to make memories with her three daughters Lily, Robyn and Scarlett.
A huge £91,000 has been raised so far, with Helen adamant from the start that a portion of the cash raised is to be donated to charity METUPUK, the only secondary breast cancer patient advocacy group in the UK.
Helen discovered the charity soon after her diagnosis and praised them for the incredible support given to her and her family.
An emotional cheque presentation saw Helen and the H&H4H team hand over £25,000 to METUPUK at The Mitchell Library in Glasgow, where a powerful installation highlighting the struggles faced by women living with metastatic breast cancer is currently on display.
‘The Darker Side of Pink’ features 31 transparent figures– one for each woman who dies every day from metastatic or secondary breast cancer.
Each figure has an individual QR code that plays a video from a real-life breast cancer patient who is living with this death sentence.
Sadly six of the 31 women who took part in the filming have since died.
Helen’s sister Emma Gilchrist said: “This disease is the biggest killer of women under 50 in the UK. The average life expectancy is two to three years.
“This has devastated our family.
“But we are fighting for change by supporting METUPUK, the biggest secondary breast cancer charity in the UK.
“We set up ‘Hearts & Hope 4 Helen’ to raise £100,000 for Helen to use to make memories with her family. We have raised £91,000 so far.
“Helen has requested that £25,000 is gifted to METUPUK to allow them to continue with their incredible patient advocacy and support.”
‘The Darker Side of Pink’ runs until January 4 at The Mitchell Library.
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