A mother-of-two who lost her sister to incurable breast cancer has spoken of her "shock" when she was also diagnosed with the same disease.
Theresa Kelly, a 54-year-old from Derry, is encouraging everyone to get behind a fundraising campaign for the charity Breast Cancer Now.
She has been named by the charity as one of its 2022 events top fundraisers in Northern Ireland.
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Retired civil servant Theresa was inspired to take part in an Afternoon Tea last year as her sister Sarah had been diagnosed in March 2022 with secondary, incurable breast cancer.
Sadly, Sarah passed away last August.
Theresa received her own secondary diagnosis this year.
“After Sarah was diagnosed I had started to check myself more regularly, and went to my GP after I found a lump in my breast," Theresa said.
"I was seen quickly and it wasn’t long before I underwent extensive treatment. It was a shock, because about five years before my diagnosis, I had found a lump in my other breast, and it turned out to be a cyst. I was fully expecting this to be the same.”
Her sister Sarah was first diagnosed in June 2018 with breast cancer. She had chemotherapy, radiotherapy and ongoing treatment and a year later she was told she had no evidence of cancer.
It was just two weeks later when Theresa was given her own diagnosis.
In December 2021, there was further bad news for Sarah.
"Sarah started to experience gastric-type symptoms which was red flagged to oncology because of her history with breast cancer," Theresa said.
"Tests revealed she had secondary, incurable, breast cancer.”
Secondary breast cancer occurs when breast cancer cells spread from the first (primary) cancer in the breast through the lymphatic or blood system to other parts of the body. Where it spreads and to how many sites varies with different types of breast cancer and in different people.
It is estimated more than 61,000 people are living with secondary breast cancer in the UK. Secondary breast cancer can be treated, but it can’t be cured. Treatment aims to control the cancer, relieve any symptoms, and maintain health, wellbeing and a good quality of life for as long as possible.
Theresa said: “Very few charities mention secondary breast cancer, but Breast Cancer Now did. Their online resources were really helpful to me and my family, when we needed to learn more about the disease. I’m an avid baker so when I was on the Breast Cancer Now website and saw the Afternoon Tea event- I know it was something I had to get involved in.
"I love feeding people with cake, so being able to raise money at the same time was just amazing. It’s also really important to me to raise awareness of primary and secondary breast cancer.
“I was absolutely delighted and a bit overwhelmed to find out I was one of the top fundraisers for Afternoon Tea in 2022 for Northern Ireland. Sarah died in August 2022 so for me it’s really important to raise vital funds for Breast Cancer Now’s world-class research and life-changing support, so that there will be a time when no-one will die from breast cancer.
"Recently I received confirmation that I have bone metastasis so I am now being treated for secondary breast cancer too. I have not been given a prognosis.
“I am planning this year's Afternoon Tea already! I want it to be bigger and better than last year so need to practise some new recipes... I seem to have plenty of willing guinea pigs lined up though!”
Ellen Hindley, Afternoon Tea Officer at Breast Cancer Now, said: “I want to say a huge thanks to Theresa, and the thousands of amazing people who will dust off their whisks, stick the kettle on, and hold an Afternoon Tea to raise money for Breast Cancer Now this year."
She added: "To join in, sign up for your fundraising pack at breastcancernow.org/cuppa”
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